HENRY   M.   STANLEY. 


STANLEY'S  ADVENTURES 

IN     THE 

WILDS  OF  AFRICA: 

A  GRAPHIC  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  SEVERAL 

EXPEDITIONS  OF  HENRY  M.   STANLEY 

INTO 

THK  HEART  OF  THE  DARK  CONTllNT. 

covering 
Stanley's  Expedition  to  Find   Livingstone^  his  Crossing 
THE  Continent  and  Exploration  of  the  Congo  from 
ITS  Headwaters  -^o  the  Ocean,  his  Establishment 
OF  THE  Congo  Free  State,  and  his  Last  Great 
Achievement — the  Discovery  and  Deliv- 
erance OP  Emin     asha. 


By  Hon.  J.  T.  Headley, 

Author  of  *^ Napoleon  and  his  Marshals,'^  ^' Washington  and  his 

GeneralSy^^   ^'Sherman  and  his  Catnpaigns,^^  ''Far^ragut  and 

our  Naval  Commanders,^^   ^'Sacred  Mountains y^*   '''Life 

of  General  Granty'^  etc. 

AND 

WiLivfs  Fletcher  Johnson, 

Author  of  ^^ The  Saga  of  the  Mistletoe y^^  ^' Landmarks y'*^   ** Facts 

and  Fancies  ^  Evoltitiony'^  ''The  Age  of  Common- 

place y^  ''The  fohnstown  Flcody^*  etc. 


Bltt0trate:o. 


KDGEWOOD  PUBUSHING  CO. 

1890. 


"Ha- 


Entered  According  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1890, 

By  WALTER  J.   BROOKS, 

In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress  at  Washington,  D.  C. 


i/.-^^ 


STANLEY'S 

Wonderful  Adventures 


IN 


'THE  DARK  CONTINENT." 


442325 


PREFACE. 


H'oR  centuries  Africa  has  been  ^'  the  dark  continent  "  of  our 
globe.  The  sea-washed  edges  of  this  immense  tract  have  been 
known  time  immemorial.  Egypt,  at  its  northeastern  corner, 
is  the  oldest  of  the  governments  of  the  earth ;  while  the  nations 
skirting  the  Red  and  the  Mediterranean  seas  were  actors  in  the 
earliest  recorded  history.  But  Africa  as  a  whole  has  been  an 
unknown  land. 

That  i^  was  a  fertile  land,  was  demonstrated  by  the  treasures 
brought  from  its  depths  by  those  mighty  rivers,  the  Nile,  the 
Niger  and  the  Congo.  That  it  was  populous,  was  proven  by 
the  fact  that  its  native  tribes  had  furnished  to  the  world  with- 
out, forty  millions  of  slaves  in  the  period  of  two  centuries. 
Both  the  slave-hunter  and  the  slave  told  wondrous  tales  of 
the  inner  depths  of  the  land,  but  these  were  mere  hints  as  to 
the  actual  facts  of  the  case.  Africa  remained  a  mystery  and 
a  riddle,  that  seemingly  were  never  to  be  penetrated. 

For  many  years  explorations  in  Africa  were  made  simply  to 
gratify  curiosity,  or  from  a  desire  to  penetrate  beyond  fines 
reached  by  other  men.  All  the  results  desired  or  expected 
were  amusement  or  fame.  But  in  later  years  African  explora- 
tions have  assumed  an  entirely  different  aspect.  From  Liv- 
ingstone, who  first  began  to  open  up  ^'  the  dark  continent,"  . 
to  Cameron  and  Stanley  who  pierced  its  yery  heart,  all  explo- 
rations have  tended  to  one  great  end — rthe  civilization  and 
Christianization  of  the  vast  population  that  inhabits  it.     Nq 

(vii) 


Viil  PREFACE. 

matter  what  the  ruling  motive  may  have  been  in  each  case, 
whether,  as  in  Livingstone,  to  introduce  Christianity ;  or,  in 
Baker,  to  put  a  stop  to  the  slave  trade  ;  or,  in  Stanley,  to  un- 
lock the  mystery  of  ages,  still  the  tendency  has  been  the  same : 
to  bring  Africa  into  the  family  of  continents  instead  of  being 
the  earth's  ** pariah;"  to  throw  light  on  this  black  spot  of 
our  planet,  and  make  those  who  inhabit  it  practically  and 
morally,  what  they  are  really,  a  portion  of  the  human  race. 

Mungo  Park,  Denham  and  Clapperton  made  explorations 
of  considerable  value  early  in  the  present  century,  but  Liv- 
ingstone with  thirty  years  of  toil  in  Africa  was  the  real 
pioneer  of  successful  work.  In  1840,  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
five,  he  embarked  as  a  missionary  to  South  Africa,  thus  en- 
tering the  land  where  he  lived  and  died,  and  which *he  never 
left  save  on  two  brief  visits  to  his  native  land. 

After  Livingstone's  last  return  to  Africa,  circumstantial  re- 
ports of  his  death  were  received.  These  were  subsequently 
contradicted  and  other  reports  of  death  came.  He  wrote 
but  few  letters  and  some  of  these  failed  to  reach  their  desti- 
nation ;  his  fate,  therefore,  remained  in  painful  uncertainty 
until  Bennett  sent  Stanley  to  discover  him,  dead  or  alive. 

This  commission  led  to  the  two  expeditions  of  Stanley,  the 
thrilling  events  of  which  are  narrated  in  this  volume. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

HENRY    M.    STANLEY. 

PAGB 

Stanley's  birth-place — Early  roving — Extensive  travels — Correspond- 
ent in  Abyssinia — The  lost  Dr.  Livingstone — Bennett's  confidence 
in  Stanley — Stanley's  marching  orders — His  interview  with  Bennett 
— Off  to  his  work — En  route  for  Africa — Stanley  meets  Livingstone 
• — Stanley's  extreme  measures, 17 

CHAPTER  n. 

DESCRIPTION   OF   AFRICA. 

Inaccessibility  of  Africa — Extent  of  Africa — Products  of  the  land,  ,      42 
CHAPTER  HI. 

STANLEY'S   SEARCH    FOR    LIVINGSTONE. 

Preparations  for  the  march — The  start  inland — Wretched  surround- 
ings— Death  of  the  horses — Jungle  travel — The  belles  of  Kisemo^^- 
News  of  Livingstone — African  fever, 49 

CHAPTER  IV. 

WILD    EXPERIENCES. 

Slow  marching — Irreparable  losses — The  sultana's  judgment — Deliver- 
ance from  difficulties — In  a  pitiable  plight — New  burdens— Incipient 
mutiny — Forgiveness — Murderous  attempt — A  man  left  behind,  ,    .      68 

CHAPTER  V. 

TRIALS   BY   THE  WAY. 

Down  with  fever — Strange  tribes — A  cowardly  mob — The  country 
described — What  Africa  may  be — Tribes  of  Africa — Marks  and 
weapons — African  ornamentation — A  nobler  tribe — Warriors  armed 

— Filthy  homes — Social  customs — Agriculture, 93 

(ix) 


X  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

ADVENTURES   IN   GREAT   VARIETY^. 

^  >AGB 

Chiefs  of  Tabna — Fighting  with  Mirambo — A  Flying  caravan — De- 
spondency— Triumph — Shaw  left — The  hunter's  paradise — On  the 
hunt — Crocodiles, 125 

CHAPTER  VII. 

THE   END   APPROACHES. 

Mutinous  conduct — News  of  a  white  man — Hastening  to  Ujiji — A 
screaming  woman — A  narrow  escape, • 150 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

STANLEY    MEETS    LIVINGSTONE. 

Ujiji  in  sight — The  village  entered — The  doctor  at  hand — The  lost 
found — Opening  his  mail — Talking  and  eating — A  long  talk — Am- 
bition satisfied, , 161 

CHAPTER   IX. 

STANLEY'S    HOMEWARD    MARCH. 

Sweet  converse — Livingstone's  surprise — Homeward  bound — Parting 
with  Livingstone — Tribute  to  Livingstone — Passing  the  swamps — 
Again  at  Zanzibar, 180 

CHAPTER  X. 

STANLEY'S   SECOND   EXPEDITION. 

Journeying  inland — Lost  in  the  jungle — Lion  soup — Plenty  of  food — 
Edward  Pocoke's  death — Letter  of  condolence — Burial  of  Pocoke — 
Magic  doctor, 197 

CHAPTER  XL 

PRESSING  TOWARD   THE   INTERIOR. 

A  hostile  surprise — A  battle — A  massacre — Summary  retribution — 
Confident  amid  perils — Immense  table-lands — Geological  history,  .    219 


CONTENTS.  xi 


CHAPTER  XII. 

EXPLORATION   OF  THE  VICTORIA   NYANZA. 

PAGE 

txetting  to  work — ^Journal  of  the  explorations — Navigating  the  lake — 
A  narrow  escape — Review  of  the  route, .231 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

EXPLORATION   OF   THE  VICTORIA   NYANZA. 

Source  of  the  Nile — King  Mtesa — Royally  entertained — The  needed 
missionary — Wild  justice, 343 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

EXPLORATION   OF   THE  VICTORIA   NYANZA. 

A  night  surprise — Narrow  escape — In  a  storm — A  welcome  sight — 
A  treacherous  trick — A  critical  moment — Terrible  recompense — A 
night  tempest — Again  in  the  storm, 256 

CHAPTER  XV. 

AN   INTERVAL   OF    REST. 

JVoposals  to  abandon  camp — Rest  after  toil — Stanley's  day-dreams — 
Seeking  canoes — The  king's  strategy — Treachery  thwarted,    .    .    ,    277 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

PREPARATIONS  FOR  FURTHER  EXPLORATIONS. 

Organizing  an  attack — ^^Terrible  punishment — Completely  subdued — 
New  schemes — The  Albert  Nyanza — Military  escort, 291 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE  EXPEDITION   TO   ALBERT   NYANZA. 

Snow-capped  mountains — A  strange  race — Toward  the  Albert  Ny- 
anza-— A  miserable  failure — The  inglorious  return — Mtesa's  friend- 
ship— Lakes  of  Karagwe — Sources  of  the  Nile — Exploring  the 
Kagera — An  African  village — Bead  currency,   .,,,,,,..    304 


Xii  CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

EXPLORATIONS  OF  LAKE  TANGANIKA. 

PAGB 

Cameron's  outlet — A    wholesale  massacre — Where  is  the  outlet? — 
Difficulties  in  the  way — Curious  customs, 331 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

NYANGWE  AND   ITS   HISTORY. 

A  beautiful  region — The  slave  trade — Slave  pens — Hunting  the  slaves 
— How  to  stop  it, 345 

CHAPTER  XX. 

ORGANIZING  A   NEV^   EXPEDITION. 

Stanley's  new  purposes — Napoleonic  spirit — An  escort  secured — Afri- 
can markets — Tipo-Tipo's  army, 356 


CHAPTER  XXI.  4 

THROUGH   THE  FORESTS. 

The  start — Discouraging  progress — Wonders  of  the  forest — Soke 
skulls, 36S 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

FLOATING   DOWN  THE  CONGO. 

Terrible  suspense — Drifting  downward — A  stratagem — Departure  of 
Tipo-Tipo — A  mournful  scene, 379 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

DESCENT   OF  THE  CONGO. 

Beset  by  cannibals — Beautiful  scenery — Zaidi  in  peril — Stanley  as  a 
strategist — Seeking  man-meat — Battling  onward — I^ortuguese  mus- 
kets— Chased  again — Famine  at  hand — Hospitable  entertainment — 
"  Stanley  pool " — Brotherly  proceedings, 390 


CONTENTS.  xiii 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

AMONG  THE  CATARACTS. 

PACK 

Wild  surroundings — Terrible  rapids — Soudi's  marvelous  escape — 
Narrow  escape  of  Stanley — Cluster  of  cataracts — Canoes  on  moun- 
tain tops, 419 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

EXPERIENCES   BY  THE  WAY. 

Canoe  building — A  terrific  pass — Trial  for  theft — Touching  scene — 
Unexpected  dilemma — A  merry  evening, 435 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

DEATH   OF   FRANK   POCOKE. 

Pocoke's  value  to  Stanley — Stanley  in  peril — Drowning  of  Pocoke — 
Stanley  in  grief — Pocoke's  character, 448 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

THE   COMPLETED  WORK. 

Incipient  miitiny — In  despair — A  perilous  moment — Brightening  pros- 
pects— Captured  for  stealing — Word  to  the  outside  world — A  starv- 
ing company — Greeted  by  friends — Approaching  Zanzibar — Home 
again — Stanley's  crowning  honor, 460 

CHAPTER   XXVIII. 

THE   FRUITS    OF   VICTORY. 

Stanley  called  to  Brussels — A  conference  concerning  the  Congo  region 
— A  company  organized — At  the  mouth  of  the  Congo — Up  the 
river — Locating  stations — Making  treaties — Difficulties  surmounted 
— Stanley  Pool  reached, 4^4 

CHAPTER   XXIX. 

THE  CONGO   FREE  STATE. 

Treaty  concerning  th6  new  realm — Area  of  the  Congo  basin — Pecu- 
liarities of  the  river — Its  volume — Scenery  on  the  Congo — Climate 
— Commercial  advantages — Stanley's  fame, 494 


xiv  CONTENTS, 

CHAPTER   XXX. 

EMIN,   THE   LAST  OF  THE  SOUDAN   HEROES. 

PA<SB 

History  of  Emin  Pasha — In  Egyptian  service — Efficient  work — Lost 
to  the  world — Betrayal  of  Gordon — Popular  demand  for  Emin's 
rescue — The  "  Emin  Relief  Committee," 500 

CHAPTER   XXXI. 

STANLEY   TO   THE   RESCUE. 
Stanley  in  America — Recalled  to  Europe — Back  to  Africa — His  escort 
— Disposition    of    his    forces — Into    the    wilderness — Distressing 
reports — Forged     dispatches — Disaster    elsewhere — Good     news 
from  Stanley,        ^05 

CHAPTER   XXXII. 

STANLEY   AND    EMIN. 

Emin's  forces — His  hesitation — His  delays — Discussions  on  the  sub- 
ject— Hopes  of  success, en 

CHAPTER   XXXIII. 

IN   THE   HEART    OF   AFRICA. 

Stanley  heard  from — Hidden  again — Further  news — A  barrier  of 
silence — Summary  of  incidents — Advance  contested — Unholy 
regions — Providence  or  luck — Seriously  ill — Promises  kept — Sur- 
roundings changed — Sublime  scenery — Officers  in  doubt — Further 
news — Emin  and  his  people  arrive,        518 

CHAPTER    XXXIV. 

FORWARD    MARCH. 

The  grand  muster — Moving — In  camp — Great  expectations — Route 
of  the  advance — Supplies  forwarded— Arrival  at  Mpwapwa — Early 
arrival  of  the  expedition — Losses  by  the  way — Much  fighting — 
Dangers  everywhere, ^26 

CHAPTER   XXXV. 

ON   THE  COAST  AT   LAST. 

Met  by  journalists — Emin  described — Royal  entertainments — Emin's 
accident — Congratulations — Return  messages — Rejoicings  every- 
where,      534 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS, 


FAGS 

tlEJ^RY  M.  Stanley  (Frontispiece). 

/.anzibar, 5' 

Ceremonies  of  the  Queen's  Court, 79 

Shooting  Hippopotami  near  Lake  Ugenlo ,....'........    83 

Execution  for  Witchcraft, IH 

A.frican  Warriors  and  Warfare, 117 

Waste  of  Human  Life, 125 

A  Council  of  War, 131 

Spring-bok  Browsing,      . 145 

Stanley  Meeting  Livingstone, 169 

Village  on  Tanganika  Lake, 185 

Burial  of  Edward  Pocoke, 211 

Reception  of  Mtesa's  Body-guard, 247 

\  Treacherous  Assault, 265 

Stanley's  Dash  Across  Unyoro, 305 

Hot  Springs  of  Mtagata, 323 

Setting  out  to  Cross   Lake  Tanganika^ 339 

Scene  in  Camp  at  Nyangwe, 359 

Natives  Hunting  Sokos,     .  • 375 

Fighting  our  Way  Around, 395 

Boat  Fight  with  the  Savages, 409 

Death  of  Kalulu, 425 

Drowning  of  Frank  Pocoke, 455 

Shooting  the  Rapids, 467 

Emin  Pasha, 515 


(XV) 


CHAPTER  I. 

HENRY     M.     STANLEY. 

STANLEY  Is  one  of  those  characters  which 
forcibly  illustrate  the  effect  of  republican 
institutions  in  developing  strong  men.  Des- 
potism cannot  fetter  thought — that  is  free  every- 
where— but  it  can  and  does  restrain  its  outworks 
ing  into  practical  action.  Free  institutions  do  not 
make  great  men,  but  they  allow  those  endowed  by 
nature  with  extraordinary  gifts  free  scope  for 
action.  This  fact  never  had,  perhaps,  a  more 
striking  illustration  than  in  the  French  Revolution. 
The  iron  frame-work  of  despotism  had  rested  so 
long  over  the  heads  of  the  people  that  it  had  be- 
come rusted  in  its  place,  and  no  individual  force 
or  strength  could  rend  it  asunder.  But  when  the 
people,  in  their  fury,  shattered  it  into  fragments, 
there  was  exhibited  the  marvelous  effects  of  indi- 
vidual character.  A  lieutenant  of  artillery  vaulted 
to  the  throne  of  France  and  made  marshals  and 
dukes  and  kings  of  plebeians.  A  plebeian  him- 
self, he  took  to  his  plebeian  bed  the  daughter  of 
the  Caesars.  He  took  base-born  men  and  pitted 
them  against  nobles  of  every  degree,  and  the  ple- 
beians proved  themselves  the  better  men.  In 
other  words,  he  put  men. against  titles,  and  th^ 
2  (17) 


i^r.  •     ''lisr^tHk  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

'  tiles  •^^ht^(3bvtTi*']bQfdre  the  men.  Thus,  no  mat- 
ter  how  despotic  he  became,  he  and  his  marshals 
and  new-made  kings  were  the  most  terrible  demo 
cracy.  The  mighty  changes  that  were  then 
wrought  show  what  results  may  be  expected 
when  the  whole  world  shall  be  thus  set  free,  and 
every  man  be  allowed  to  strike  his  best  and 
strongest  blow.  When  the  race  is  thus  let  loose 
on  the  planet  we  inhabit,  we  shall  see  the  fulfill- 
ment of  that  prophecy,  "a  nation  shall  be  born  In 
a  day." 

The  same  truth  Is  apparent  In  our  own  counuy, 
though  its  exhibitions  are  not  so  sudden  and  start- 
ling. Indeed  they  could  not  be,  because  this  free- 
dom of  action  has  no  restraints  to  break  through, 
and  hence  no  violent  effort  is  required.  Every 
man  grows  and  expands  by  degrees  without  let  or 
hindrance.  In  a  despotism,  Webster  would  pro- 
bably have  taught  school  in  a  log  school-house  all 
his  days,  and  the  "  mill-boy  of  the  slashes  "  never 
would  have  made  the  forum  of  a  nation  rlnof  with  his 
eloquence,  nor  the  "rail-splitter"  have  become 
the  foremost  man  of  his  time,  nor  the  "tanner-boy" 
the  president  of  the  republic.  Republican  Institu- 
tions never  made  any  of  those  men — they  simply 
allowed  them  to  make  themselves. 

Stanley  Is  among  the  latest  and  most  extraordi- 
nary examples  of  this.  It  Is  folly  to  point  to  such 
men  as  he,  as  a  stimulus  to  youthful  ambition. 
No  amount  of  study  or  effort  can  make  such  a  boy 


STANLEY'S  BIRTH-PLACE,  j^ 

or  man  as  he  was  and  is.  The  energy,  daring, 
self-confidence,  promptness  and  indomitable  will 
were  born  in  him,  not  acquired.  The  Latin  pro- 
verb, Poeta  nascitur.non  fitj  "the  poet  is  born,  not 
made,"  is  not  truer  of  the  poet  than  of  a  character 
such  as  his.  His  peculiarities  may  be  pointed  out 
for  the  admiration  of  others,  his  good  qualities 
may  teach  youth  how  perseverance,  and  determi- 
nation, and  work  will  elevate  a  man,  whatever  be 
his  walk  in  life.  One  born  with  a  combination  of 
qualities  like  Stanley's,  must  have  room  given  him 
or  he  will  make  room.  He  has  such  an  abun- 
dance of  energy  and  will-power  that  they  must 
have  scope  for  action.  A  despotism  could  not  have 
repressed  him.  He  would  either  have  become  a 
wanderer  or  adventurer  in  strange  lands,  or  he 
would  have  headed  a  revolution  and  vaulted  to 
power  or  to  a  scaffold,  as  others  had  done  before 
him. 

But  although  Stanley  developed  his  character 
under  free  institutions,  he  was  not  born  under 
them,  he  being  a  native  of  Wales.  He  was  born 
near  Denbigh,  in  1840.  His  father's  name  w^as 
Rowland.  When  three  years  old,  he  was  sent  to 
the  poor-house  at  St.  Asaph,  to  get  an  education. 
Here  the  poor,  unpromising  lad  remained  till  he 
had  finished  such  an  education  as  this  institution 
could  furnish,  and  then  he  sought  employment  as 
a  teacher,  and  for  a  year  was  employed  as  such 
at  Mold,  Flintshire.     But  the  strong  instincts  of 


2Q  IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

his  nature  then  began  to  jhow  themselves.  He 
felt  that  a  school-teacher's  life,  however  honora- 
ble and  useful,  could  not  be  his,  and,  therefore, 
with  his  scant  earnings,  he  shipped  as  cabin-boy 
in  a  vessel  bound  for  New  Orleans.  Having  ar- 
rived in  safety,  he  began  to  look  about  for  employ- 
ment. By  what  lucky  chance  it  happened  we  do 
not  know,  but  he  fell  into  the  hands  of  a  merchant 
named  Stanley,  who  became  so  attached  to  the 
frank,  energetic,  ambitious  youth,  that  he  finally 
adopted  him  and  gave  him  his  name.  Thus  the 
Welsh  boy  Rowland,  became  the  American  youth 
Stanley. 

Fortune  had  certainly  smiled  on  him,  and  his 
future  seemed  secure.  As  the  partner,  and  even- 
tually heir  of  his  benefactor,  as  he  doubtless  would 
become,  fortune,  ease  and  a  luxurious  life  lay  be- 
fore him.  But  even  here,  so  pleasantly  situated 
and  cared  for,  the  same  restless  spirit  that  has 
since  driven  him  over  the  world,  exhibited  itself, 
and  he  wandered  off  into  the  wilds  of  Arkansas, 
and  in  his  log-cabin  on  the  banks  of  the  Wichita 
River,  with  the  pine-trees  moaning  above  him,  he 
dwelt  for  a  long  time,  among  the  strange,  wild 
dreams  of  his  imaginative  and  daring  youth.  His 
adopted  father  mourned  him  as  dead,  never  ex- 
pecting to  behold  him  again.  But  the  youth  made 
his  way  to  the  Mississippi,  and  going  on  board  a 
flat-boat,  became  the  companion  of  the  rough  west- 
ern characters  to  be  found  on  these  boats,  and 


EARLY  ROVING,  21 

slowly  floated  down  to  New  Orleans  and  was  re- 
ceived by  his  overjoyed  father  as  one  risen  from 
the  dead. 

But  just  here,  fortune,  which  seemed  to  have 
had  him  in  her  special  care,  took  him  another  step 
forward  by  apparently  deserting  him.  His  adopted 
father  suddenly  died  without  making  his  will.  His 
place  and  prospective  heirship  both  disappeared 
together,  and  the  curtain  was  let  down  between 
him  and  a  pleasant,  successfuLfuture.  Doubtless 
that  father  intended  to  provide  for  his  adopted 
son,  but  now  all  the  property  went  to  the  natural 
legal  heirs,  and  he  was  once  more  thrown  upon 
the  world.  In  the  delirium  of  an  African  fever, 
tossing  in  his  hammock,  far  from  the  haunts  of 
civilization,  there  came  back  to  him  remembrances 
of  his  life  at  this  point.  We  learn  that  impelled  by 
his  roving  disposition  he  wandered  away  among 
the  California  miners,  and  at  last  among  the  In- 
dians, and  sat  by  their  council  fires.  He  seemed 
destined  to  see  every  phase  of  human  life,  to  be- 
come acquainted  with  the  roughest  characters,  to 
prepare  him  for  the  wildest  of  all  men,  the  Afri- 
can savao^e.  This  kind  of  life  also  touorhened  and 
hardened  the  fibre  of  the  youth,  so  that  he  settled 
down  into  the  man  with  a  constitution  of  iron, 
without  which  he  could  not  have  endured  the 
trials  he  has  since  undergone,  and  still  retain  his 
health  and  physical  powers  unworn. 

At  this  time  a  new  field  opened  before  him. 


^2  ^^  THE   WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

The  civil  war  broke  out,  and  being  a  Southern 
man,  he  enlisted  in  the  Confederate  army.  This 
was  a  kind  of  service  just  adapted  to  his  peculiar 
character,  one  in  which  a  man  with  the  courage, 
daring,  energy,  promptness  and  indomitable  will 
that  he  possessed,  was  sure  to  win  fame  and  pro- 
motion. But  before  he  had  time  to  exhibit  these 
qualities,  fate,  that  seemed  against  him  to  human 
eyes,  again  advanced  him  a  step  toward  success 
by  causing  him  to  be  taken  prisoner  by  the  Union 
troops.  As  a  prisoner  he  was  worthless,  and  the 
Union  cause  really  having  his  sympathies,  he  pro- 
posed to  enlist  in  the  Northern  army. 

Whether  the  military  authorities  were  afraid  of 
this  sudden  conversion  or  not  daring  to  give  too 
much  freedom  of  action  to  one  who  showed  by  his 
whole  bearing  and  language,  that  there  was  no 
undertaking  too  daring  for  him  to  attempt,  we 
are  not  told,  but  they  put  him  where  he  would 
probably  have  little  chance  to  show  what  stuff  he 
was  made  of,  and  he  was  placed  on  the  iron-clad 
ship  Ticonderoga.  It  is  said,  he  was  released  as 
prisoner  and  volunteered  to  enlist  in  the  navy. 
Be  that  as  it  may,  though  totally  unfit  for  service 
of  any  kind  on  board  of  a  man-of-war,  he  soon 
became  actinof  ensio^n. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  he  looked  about  for 
some  field  of  active  service,  and  what  little  war  he 
had  seen  seemed  to  fit  his  peculiar  character,  and 
hearing  that  the  Cretans  were  about  to  attempt  to 


EXTENSIVE  TRAVELS.  2? 

throw  off  the  Turkish  yoke,  he  resolved  to  join 
them.  He  proceeded  thither  with  two  other 
Americans,  after  having  first  made  an  engagement 
with  the  New  York  Herald,  as  its  correspondent. 
Disgusted,  it  is  said,  with  the  insurgent  leaders, 
he  abandoned  his  purpose,  and  having  a  sort  of 
roving  commission  from  Mr.  Bennett,  he  deter- 
mined to  travel  in  th6  East.  But  he  and  his 
fellow-travelers  were  attacked  by  Turkish  brig- 
ands, and  robbed  of  all  their  money  and  clothing. 
They  laid  their  complaint  before  Mr.  Morris,  then 
our  minister  at  Constantinople,  who  in  turn  laid  it 
before  the  Turkish  government,  and  at  the  same 
time  advanced  them  funds  to  supply  their  wants. 
After  various  journeyings  Stanley  returned  to 
Enorland.  Here  a  stronpf  desire  seized  him  to 
visit  the  place  of  his  nativity  in  Wales,  the  house 
where  he  was  born,  and  the  humble  dwelling 
where  he  received  the  first  rudiments  of  his  edu- 
cation at  St.  Asaph.  One  can  imagine  the  feel- 
ings with  which  this  bronzed  young  man,  who  had 
traveled  so  far  and  wide,  entered  the  quiet  valley 
from  which  he  had  departed  so  long  ago  to  seek 
his  fortune.  It  speaks  well  for  his  heart,  that  his 
sympathies  turned  at  once  toward  the  poor-house 
of  which  he  had  been  an  inmate  in  his  childhood. 
Rememberinqr  that  the  (greatest  boon  that  could 
have  been  conferred  at  that  time  on  him  would 
have  been  a  good,  generous  dinner,  he  resolved 
to  give   those   poor  children   one.     The  daring 


24  ^^  '^^^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 

young  adventurer,  in  the  presence  of  those  simple, 
wonderstruck  children,  would  have  made  a  noble 
subject  for  a  picture.  We  venture  to  say  that 
Mr.  Stanley  enjoyed  that  unobtrusive  meal  in  that 
quiet  Welsh  valley  more  than  he  has  ever  enjoyed 
a  banquet  with  nobles  and  princes  ;  and  as  the 
shadows  of  life  lengthen  he  will  look  back  on  it 
with  more  real  pleasure.  He  addressed  the- little 
.ones  of  the  Institution,  giving  them  a  familiar  talk, 
telling  them  that  he  was  once  one  of  that  house- 
hold, accompanying  his  words  with  good  advice, 
saying  for  their  encouragement,  and  to  stimulate 
them  to  noble  endeavors,  that  all  he  had  been  in 
the  past  and  all  he  hoped  to  be  in  the  future,  he 
attributed  to  the  education  which  was  begun  in 
that  poor-house. 

This  was  a  real  episode  in  his  eventful  life,  and, 
though  it  doubtless  soon  passed  away  in  the  more 
stirring  scenes  on  which  he  entered,  yet  the 
remembrance  of  it  still  lingers  around  that  quiet, 
retired  Welsh  valley,  and,  to-day,  the  name  of 
Stanley  is  a  household  word  there,  and  is  the 
pride  and  glory  of  its  simple  inhabitants.  And  as 
time  goes  on  and  silvers  those  dark  hairs,  and  the 
" almond-tree  flourishes''  and  " desire  fails  because 
man  goeth  to  his  long  home,"  he,  too,  will  remem- 
ber it  as  a  orreen  oasis  he  once  longed  to  see  and 
found  in  the  arid  desert. 

In  1867,  when  he  was  twenty-seven  years  of 
age,  he  returned  to  the  United  States  and,  in  the 


IN  ABYSSINIA.  2  £> 

next  year,  accompanied  the  English  army  in  its 
campaign  against  Theodore,  king  of  Abyssinia, 
which  was  set  on  foot  to  reveno^e  the  wrongs  this 
tyrant  had  committed  against  the  subjects  and  rep- 
resentatives of  the  British  government.  Stanley 
went  as  correspondent  of  the  New  York  Herald, 
and  gave  a  vivid  and  clear  account  of  the  painful 
march  and  skirmishes  up  to  the  last  great  battle 
in  the  king's  stronghold,  where,  with  a  gallant  dash, 
the  fortress  was  taken,  the  king  killed  and  the  war 
ended.  With  that  promptness  in  acting,  which  is 
one  of  his  chief  characteristics,  he  at  once  dis- 
patched the  news  of  the  victory  and  the  ending  of 
the  campaign  to  London,  outstripping  the  govern- 
ment dispatches  sent  by  the  commander-in-chief, 
so  that  one  morning  the  readers  of  the  London 
newspapers  knew  that  of  which  the  government 
was  ignorant.  This,  of  course,  was  a  genuine  sur- 
prise. A  young  American  newspaper  correspond 
dent,  without  a  vessel  at  his  command,  had,  never- 
theless, by  his  enterprise,  beaten  the  government 
messenger,  and  steady  old  conservative  England 
was  disgusted  to  find  its  time-honored  custom  re- 
versed, which  was  that  the  government  should 
first  give  notice  of  successes  to  the  public,  leaving 
to  newspaper  correspondents  to  fill  up  the  minor 
details.  But  an  enterprising  young  American  had 
furnished  the  important  news,  leaving  the  British 
government  the  secondary  duty  of  supplying  these 
details.     Notwithstanding  the  admiration   of  the 


,j^  IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 

enterprise  that  had  accomplished  this  great  feat, 
there  was  a  ludicrous  aspect  to  the  affair,  in  the 
position  in  which  it  placed  official  personages,  that 
raised  a  quiet  laugh  on  both  continents.  Stanley's 
letters  contain  the  best  history  of  that  expedition 
that  has  been  written.  This  was  still  another  on- 
ward step  in  the  great  work  before  him,  of  which 
he,  as  yet  had  no  intimation. 

The  next  year,  1868,  he  returned  to  the  United 
States,  and  in  the  following  year  was  sent  by  the 
Herald  into  Spain,  to  follow  the  fortunes  of  the 
civil  war  there,  as  correspondent.  Like  every- 
thing else  that  he  undertook,  he  performed  his 
duties  more  than  faithfully.  Exposure,  danger, 
hardships,  nothing  interfered  when  there  was  a 
prospect  of  acquiring  valuable  information.  It 
mattered  not  to  him  whether  he  was  on  the  mar- 
gin or  in  the  vortex  of  battle — he  never  thought 
of  anything  but  the  object  before  him  and  toward 
which  he  bent  all  his  energies.  His  letters  from 
the  seat  of  war  not  only  gave  the  best  description 
of  the  battles  fought  and  of  the  military  position 
of  affairs,  but,  also,  of  the  political  state  of  the 
kingdom.  But  while  he  was  here,  considering 
himself  fixed  down  for  an  indefinite  period,  for 
Spain  is  proverbial  for  the  protracted  duration  of 
its  civil  wars,  Mr.  Bennett,  in  Paris,  was  planning 
an  expedition  to  go  in  search  of  Dr.  Livingstone, 
buried,  alive  or  dead,  somewhere  in  the  heart  of 
Africa.     The  sympathies  of  everybody  were  en- 


THE  LOST  DR,  LIVINGSTONE.  2 7 

listed  in  his  fortunes,  yet  the  British  government, 
thouorh  he  had  done  so  much  to  enhance  the  fame 
of  his  native  country,  refused  to  stir  a  step  toward 
ascertaining  his  fate,  discovering  his  whereabouts, 
or  'reheving  him  if  in  want. 

The  Royal  Geographical  Society,  ashamed  of 
the  apathy  and  indifference  of  the  government, 
had  started  a  subscription  to  raise  funds  from  pri- 
vate sources  to  defray  the  expenses  of  an  expe- 
dition to  go  in  search  of  him.  In  the  meantime  this 
American  editor,  scorning  alike  state  patronage  or 
private  help,  conceived  the  bold  project  of  finding 
him  himself  Looking  around  for  a  suitable  leader 
to  command  an  expedition,  his  eye  rested  upon 
Stanley  in  Spain.  And  here  should  be  noted  the 
profound  sagacity  of  Mr.  Bennett  in  selecting  such 
a  leader  for  this  desperate  expedition,  that  was  to 
go  no  one  knew  where,  and  end  no  one  knew  how. 

Most  people  thought  it  was  a  mammoth  adver- 
tisement of  the  New  York  Herald,  nothing  more. 
If  he  was  in  earnest  why  did  he  not  select  some 
one  of  the  many  African  explorers  who  were 
familiar  with  the  regions  of  Central  Africa,  and 
had  explored  in  the  vicinity  of  where  Livingstone 
was,  by  the  best  judges,  supposed  to  be,  if  alive  ? 
Men,  for  instance,  like  Speke,  Baker,  Burton, 
Grant  and  others.  This  certainly  would  have 
given  great  eclat  to  the  expedition,  and,  if  it 
failed  in  Its  chief  object,  would  unquestionably 
have  furnished  new  facts  for  the  geographer  and 


28  ^^  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

the  man  of  science.  But  to  send  one  who  made 
no  pretensions  to  science,  no  claims  to  be  a  me- 
teorologist, botanist,  geologist,  or  to  be  familiar 
with  astronomical  calculations,  all  of  which  are 
indispensable  to  a  great  explorer,  seemed  absurd. 
But  Mr.  Bennett  had  no  intention  of  making 
new  scientific  or  geographical  discoveries.  He 
had  but  one  object  in  view — to  find  Dr.  Living 
stone — and  on  the  true  Napoleonic  system  of  se- 
lecting the  best  man  to  accomplish  a  single  object, 
he,  with  Napoleonic  sagacity,  fixed  on  Stanley. 
The  celebrated  men  who  would  have  given  greater 
distinction  to  the  enterprise  would,  doubtless, 
divide  up  their  time  and  resources  between  scien- 
tific research  and  the  chief  object  of  the  expe- 
dition, and  thus  cause  delays  that  might  defeat  it ; 
or,  with  more  or  less  of  the  martinet  about  them, 
push  their  researches  only  to  a  reasonable  extent 
and  be  content  with  reports  instead  of  personal 
investigation.  But  he  wanted  a  man  who  had  but 
one  thing  to  do,  and  not  only  that,  but  a  man  who 
would  accomplish  the  errand  on  which  he  was  sent 
or  die  in  the  attempt.  This  was  to  be  no  mere 
well-regulated  expedition,  that  was  to  turn  back 
when  all  reasonable  efforts  had  been  made.  It 
was  one  that,  if  desperate  straits  should  come, 
would  resort  to  desperate  means,  and  he  knew 
that  with  Stanley  at  its  head  this  would  be  done. 
He  knew  that  Stanley  would  fetch  out  Livingstone, 
dead  or  alive,  or  leave  his  own  bones  to  bleach 


BENNETTS  CONFIDENCE  IN  STANLEY, 


2g 


in  the  depths  of  Africa.  Stanley  was  compara- 
tively young,  it  was  true,  and  had  always  accom- 
panied, never  led,  expeditions.  He  knew  nothing  of 
Africa,  or  how  an  expedition  should  be  organized  or 
furnished — it  mattered  not.  Bennett  knew  he  had 
resources  within  himself — nerves  that  never  flinch, 
courage  that  no  amount  of  danger  could  daunt,  a 
will  that  neither  an  African  fever  nor  a  wasted  form 
could  break  down,  and  a  resolution  of  purpose  that 
the  presence  of  death  itself  could  not  shake,  while,  to 
complete  all,  he  had  a  quickness  and  accuracy  of 
judgment  in  a  perilous  crisis,  followed  by  equally 
quick  and  right  action,  which  would  extricate  him 
out  of  difficulties  that  would  overwhelm  men  who 
had  all  his  courage,  will  and  energy,  but  were 
slower  in  coming  to  a  ^decision. 

This  latter  quality  is  one  of  the  rarest  ever 
found  even  in  the  strongest  men ;  to  think  quick 
and  yet  think  right,  to  come  to  a  right  decision  as 
if  by  impulse,  is  a  power  few  men  possess.  To 
go  swift  and  yet  straight  as  the  cannon  ball  or 
lightning's  flash,  gives  to  any  man's  actions  ten- 
fold power.  In  this  lay  the  great  secret  of  Na. 
poleon's  success.  His  campaigns  were  started, 
while  those  of  others  were  under  discussion,  and 
the  thunder  and  tumult  of  battle  cleared  his  pre- 
ceptions  and  judgment  so  that  no  unexpected  dis- 
aster could  occur  that  he  was  not  ready  to  meet. 
This  quickness  and  accuracy  of  thought  and  ac- 
tion is  one  of  the  prominent  characteristics  of 


nQ  IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

Stanley,  and  more  than  once  saved  his  life  and  his 
expedition. 

On  the  1 6th  day  of  October,  1869,  as  he  was 
sitting  in  his  hotel  at  Madrid,  having  just  returned 
from  the  carnage  of  Valencia,  a  telegram  was 
handed  him.  The  thunder  of  cannon  and  tumult 
of  battle  had  scarce  ceased  echoing  in  his  ear 
when  this  telegram  startled  him  from  his  reverie : 
"  Come  to  Paris  on  important  business/'  In  a 
moment  all  was  hurry  and  confusion,  his  books 
and  pictures  were  packed,  his  washed  and  un- 
washed clothes  were  stowed  away,  and  in  two 
hours  his  trunks  were  strapped  and  labeled 
"  Paris/'  The  train  started  at  3  o'clock,  and  he 
still  had  some  time  to  say  good-bye  to  his  friends, 
and  here  by  mere  accident  cpmes  out  one  of  the 
most  pleasing  traits  of  his  character.  Of  the 
friends  he  is  thus  to  leave,  he  merely  refers  to 
those  of  the  American  legation,  but  dwells  with 
regret  on  the  farewell  he  must  give  to  two  little 
children,  whom  he  calls  his  "  fast  friends."  Like 
a  sudden  burst  of  sunlight  on  a  landscape,  this 
unconscious  utterance  reveals  a  heart  as  tender 
as  it  is  str6ng,  and  increases  our  interest  in  the 
man  quite  as  much  as  in  the  explorer.  At  3 
o'clock  he  was  thundering  on  toward  Paris,  ready, 
as  he  said,  to  go  to  the  battle  or  the  banquet,  all 
the  same.  His  interview  with  Mr.  Bennett  reveals 
the  character  of  both  these  men  so  clearly  that  we 
give  it  in  Stanley's  own  words : 


m  -i 


STANLE  TS  MARCl  UNG  (^RDERS.  ^  j 

"  At  3  P.  M.  I  was  on  my  way,  c.nd  being  obliged 
to  stop  at  Bayonne  a  few  hours,  did  not  arrive  at 
Paris  until  the  following  night.  I  went  straight  to 
the  *  Grand  Hotel/  and  knocl^ed  at  the  door  of 
Mr.  Bennett's  room.  ' 

"'Come  in/  I  heard  a  voice  say.  Entering,  I 
found  Mr.  Bennett  in  bed. 

"  *  Who  are  you  ?'  he  ask<^d. 

"*My  name  is  Stanley/  I  answered. 

"  'Ah,  yes,  sit  down  ;  I  hrve  important  business 
on  hand  for  you.'' 

"After  throwing  over  his  shoulders  his  robe  d^ 
chambre,  Mr.  Bennett  asked;  *  Where  do  you 
think  Livingstone  is  ?' 

"  *  I  really  do  not  know,  sir.' 

"  *Do  you  think  he  is  alive  ?' 

"*He  may  be,  and  he  may  not  be,'  I  answered. 

"*Well,  I  think  he  is  alive,  and  that  he  can  be 
found,  and  I  am  going  to  send  you  to  find  him/ 

"'What/  said  I,  *do  you  really  think  I  can  find 
Dr.  Livingstone  ?  Do  yOu  mean  me  to  go  to 
Central  Africa?' 

"  *  Yes  ;  I  mean  that  you  shall  go  and  find  him, 
wherever  you  hear  that  he  is,  and  get  what  news 
you  can  of  him  ;  and,  perhaps ' — delivering  him- 
self  thoughtfully  and  deliberately — '  the  old  man 
may  be  in  want.  Take  enough  with  you  to  help 
him,  should  he  require  it.  Of  course,  you  will  act 
according  to  your  own  plans,  and  you  will  do 
what  is  best — but  find  Livingstone  !' 


^2  I^  Tjkfi  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 

**Said  I,  wonderi^ng  at  the  cool  order  of  sending 
one  to  Central  Africa  to  search  for  a  man  whom 
I,  in  common  with  n^.ost  other  men,  believed  to  be 
dead :  *  Have  you  c(|insidered  seriously  the  great 
expense  you  are  liabJ^r:  to  incur  on  account  of  this 
little  journey  ?' 

•'*What  will  it  cost?'  he  asked  abruptly. 

"  '  Burton  and  3peke's  journey  to  Central  Africa 
cost  between  ^3,000  and  £^,ooOy  and  I  fear  it 
cannot  be  done  under  ^2,500/ 

"  'Well,  I  will  tell  you  what  you  will  do.  Draw 
a  thousand  pounds  now,  and  when  you  have  gone 
through  that,  draw  another  thousand,  and  when 
that  is  spent  draw  another  thousand,  and  when 
you  have  finished  that  draw  another  thousand^ 
and  so  on — but  find  Livingstone  !' 

"  Surprised,  but  not  confused,  at  the  order,  for 
I  knew  that  Mr.  Bennett,  when  he  had  once  made 
up  his  mind,  was  not  easily  drawn  aside  from 
his  purpose,  I  yet  thought,  seeing  it  was  such  a 
gigantic  scheme,  that  he  had  not  quite  considered 
in  his  own  mind  the  pros  and  the  cons  of  the 
case,  I  said:  *I  have  heard  that,  should  your 
father  die,  you  would  sell  the  Herald y  and  retire 
from  business.' 

"  *  Whoever  told  you  so  is  wrong,  for  there  is 
not  mxoney  enough  in  the  United  States  to  buy  the 
New  York  Herald.  My  father  has  made  it  a 
great  paper,  but  I  mean  to  make  it  a  greater.  I 
mean,  that  it  shall  be  a  newspaper  in  the  true  sense 


INTER  VIE  AT   WITH  BM     WETT,  ^  ^ 

of  the  word ;  I  mean  that  t  shall  publish  whatever 
news  may  be  useful  to  the  world,  at  no  matter 
what  cost/ 

*'*After  that/  said  I,  'I  h^ve  nothing  more  to 
say.  Do  you  mean  me  ttv;  go  straight  on  to 
Africa  to  search  for  Dr.  Livinge^pne  ? ' 

"  *  No ;  I  wish  you  to  go  to  the  inauguration  of 
the  Suez  Canal  first,  and  then  proceed  up  the 
Nile.  I  hear  Baker  is  about  starting  for  Upper 
Egypt.  Find  out  what  you  can  about  his  expe- 
dition, and,  as  you  go  up,  describe,  as  well  as  pos- 
sible, whatever  is  interesting  for  tourists,  and  then 
write  up  a  guide — a  practical  one — for  Lower 
Egypt ;  tell  us  about  whatever  is  worth  seeing^ 
and  how  to  see  it. 

"  *  Then  you  might  as  well  go  to  Jerusalem ;  1 
h^ar  that  Captain  Warren  is  making  some  inter- 
esting discoveries  there.  Then  visit  Constanti- 
nople, and  find  out  about  the  khedive  and  sultan. 

**  *  Then — let  me  see — you  might  as  well  visit 
the  Crimea  and  those  old  battle-grounds.  Then 
go  across  the  Caucasus  to  the  Caspian  Sea.  I 
hear  there  is  a  Russian  expedition  bound  for 
Khiva.  From  thence  you  may  get  through  Persia 
to  India;  you  could  write  an  interesting  letter 
from  Persepolis. 

"  *  Bagdad  will  be  close  on  your  way  to  India  ; 
suppose  you  go  there  and  v/rite  up  something 
about  the  Euphrates  Valley  Railway.  Then,  when 
you   have  come  to  India,  you   may  go  after  Dr. 

3 


24  ^^  ^^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

Livingstone.  Probably  you  will  hear  by  that  time 
that  Livingstone  is'  on  his  way  to  Zanzibar ;  but, 
if  not,  go  into  the  interior  and  find  him,  if  alive. 
Get  what  news  you* can  ;  and  if  you  find  that  he 
is  dead,  bring  all  possible  proofs  you  can  of  his 
being  dead.  That  is  all.  Good-night,  and  God 
be  with  you.' 

"  '  Good-night,  sir,'  I  said,  *  what  is  in  the  power 
of  human  nature  I  will  do ;  and  on  such  an  errand 
as  I  go  upon,  God  will  be  with  me.' 

"I  lodged  with  young  Edward  King,  who  is 
making  such  a  name  in  New  England.  He  was 
just  the  man  who  would  have  delighted  to  tell  the 
journal  he  was  engaged  upon  what  young  Mr. 
Bennett  was  doing,  and  what  errand  I  was  bound 
upon.  I  should  have  liked  to  exchange  opinions 
with  him  upon  the  probable  results  of  my  journey, 
but  dared  not  do  so.  Though  oppressed  with  the 
great  task  before  me,  I  had  to  appear  as  if  only 
going  to  be  present  at  the  Suez  Canal.  Young 
King  followed  me  to  the  express  train  bound  for 
Marseilles,  and  at  the  station  we  parted — he  to 
go  and  read  the  newspapers  at  Bowles's  Reading- 
room,  I  to  Central  Africa  and — who  knows?  There 
IS  no  need  to  recapitulate  what  I  did  before  going 
to  Central  Africa." 

He  started  on  his  travels,  and  we  hear  of  him 
first  in  Constantinople,  from  our  minister  there, 
Mr.  Morris,  who  had  relieved  him  and  his  com- 
panions  when   plundered   by  Turkish   brigands. 


OFF  TO  ms  woA^c 


35 


One  of  Mr.  Stanley's  travelirig  companions  who 
had  been  robbed  with  himself,  accused  him,  in  a 
published  letter,  of  dishonesty  regarding  the  money 
our  minister  had  advanced.'  It  is  not  necessary 
to  go  into  this  accusation  or  a^  refutation  of  it  now. 
It  is  sufficient  to  say  that  Mr.  Mbrris  declared  the 
whole  charge  false,  and  as  the  shortest  and  most 
complete  refutation  of  such  a  charge,  we  give  Mr. 
Morris's  own  views  of  Mr.  Stanle^: 

"The  uncouth  young  man  whom  I  first  knew 
had  grown  into  a  perfect  man  of  th^  world,  pos- 
sessing the  appearance,  the  manners  and  the 
attributes  of  a  perfect  gentleman.  The  story  of 
the  adventures  which  he  had  gone  through  and 
the  dangers  he  had  passed  during  his  absence, 
were  perfectly  marvelous,  and  he  became  the  lion 
of  our  little  circle.  Scarcely  a  day  passed  but  he 
was  a  guest  at  my  table,  and  no  one  was  more 
welcome,  for .  I  insensibly  grew  to  have  a  strong 
attachment  for  him  myself"  In  speaking  further 
on  of  his  projected  travels,  he  said  he  advised  him 
to  go  to  Persia,  which  Stanley  suddenly  came  to 
the  conclusion  to  follow  out.  "  He  therefore,''  he 
says,  ''busied  himself  in  procuring  letters  of  intro- 
duction to  the  Russian  authorities  in  the  Caucasus, 
in  Georgia  and  in  other  countries  through  which 
he  would  have  to  pass." 

This  is  quite  enough  to  put  to  rest  the  scandal, 
which  at  one  time  produced  quite  a  sensation,  that 
Stanley  had  cheated  Mr.  Morris  and  misappro- 


;7^6  ^^   ^-^^   PVILDS  OF  AFl^ICA. 

priated  the  funds  advanced  by  him.     No  explana* 
tions  are  required  after  this  indorsement. 

Of  this  long  and  hazardous  journey,  the  columns 
of  the  Herald gdiW^  all  the  principal  details.  There 
is  nothing  in  them^that  illustrates  the  peculiar 
characteristics  of  Stanley  more  than,  or  even  so 
much  as,  his  subsequent  acts,  hence  his  brief  sum- 
mary of  this  tour,  that  seems  to  have  had  no  defi- 
nite object  whatever,  except  to  give  the  corres- 
pondent of  the  Herald  something  to  do,  until  the 
proper  moment  to  start  on  the  expedition  for  Liv- 
ingstone, is,  perhaps,  the  best  account  that  could 
be  given,  so  far  as  the  general  reader  is  concerned. 
All  we  can  say  is,  it  seems  a  very  roundabout  way 
in  which  to  commence  such  an  expedition. 

"  I  went  up  the  Nile  and  saw  Mr.  Higginbotham, 
chief  engineer  in  Baker  s  expedition,  at  Philse,  and 
was  the  means  of  preventing  a  duel  between  him 
and  a  mad  young  Frenchman,  who  wanted  to  fight 
Mr.  Higginbotham  with  pistols,  because  Mr.  Hig 
ginbotham  resented  the  idea  of  being  taken  for  an 
Egyptian  through  wearing  a  fez  cap.  I  had  a  talk 
with  Captain  Warren  at  Jerusalem,  and  descended 
one  of  the  pits  with  a  sergeant  of  engineers  to  see 
the  marks  of  Tyrian  workmen  on  the  foundation- 
stones  of  the  Temple  of  Solomon.  I  visited  the 
mosques  of  Stamboul  with  the  minister  resident 
of  the  United  States,  and  the  American  consul- 
general.  I  traveled  over  the  Crimean  battle- 
grounds with  Kinglake's  glorious  books  for  refer- 


EN  ROUTE  FOR  AFRICA. 


37 


ence.  I  dined  with  the  widow  of  General  Ln 
prandi,  at  Odessa.  I  saw  the  Arabian  traveler, 
Palgrave,  at  Trebizond,  and  Baron  Nicolay,  the 
civil  governor  of  the  Caucasus,  at  Tiflis.  I  lived 
with  the  Russian  embassador  while  at  Teheran, 
and  wherever  I  went  through  Persia  I  received  the 
most  hospitable  welcome  from  the  gentlemen  of 
the  Indo-European  Telegraph  Company;  and,  fol- 
lowing the  example  of  many  ilkstrious  men,  I 
wrote  my  name  upon  one  of  the  Persepolitan 
monuments.  In  the  month  of  August,  1870,  I 
arrived  in  India." 

In  completing  this  sketch  of  Mr.  Stanley's  life 
and  character,  it  is  necessary  only  to  add  that  his 
after  career  fully  justified  the  high  estimate  Mr, 
Bennett  had  placed  on  his  extraordinary  qualities. 
These  were  tested  to  their  utmost  extent  in  his 
persistent,  determined  search  after  the  man  he  was 
sent  to  find.  But  we  believe  that  Livingstone, 
when  found,  with  whom  Stanley  passed  some 
months^  exerted  a  powerful  influence  on  the  char- 
acter which  we  have  attempted  to  portray.  Stan- 
ley was  comparatively  young,  full  of  life  and  am- 
bition, with  fame,  greater  probably  than  he  had 
ever  anticipated,  now  within  his  reach.  Yet,  here 
in  the  heart  of  Africa,  he  found  a  man  well  on  in 
years,  of  a  world-wide  fame,  yet  apparently  indif- 
ferent to  it. 

This  man  who  had  spent  his  life  in  a  savage 
country,  away  from  home  and  all  the  pleasures  of 


38  ^^  ^^  WILDS  01  AFRICA. 


Civilized  society,  who  expected  to  pass  the  remnant 
of  his  days  in  the  Scime  isolated  state,  was  looking 
beyond  this  life.  He  was  forgetting  himself,  in 
the  absorbing  purpose  to  benefit  others.  Fame 
to  him  was  nothing',  the  welfare  of  a  benighted 
race  everything.  .This  was  a  new  revelation  to 
the  ambitious  young  man.  Hitherto  he  had  thought 
only  of  himself,;  but  here  was  a  man,  earnest, 
thoughtful,  sincere,  who  was  living  to  carry  out  a 
great  idea — no  less  than  the  salvation  of  a  conti- 
nent— nay  more  than  this,  who  was  working  not 
for  himself,  but  for  a  Master,  and  that  Master,  the 
God  of  the  universe.  He  remained  with  him  in 
close  companionship  for  months,  and  intimate  rela- 
tions with  a  man  borne  up  by  such  a  lofty  purpose, 
inspired  by  such  noble  feelings,  and  looking  so  far 
away  beyond  time  for  his  reward,  could  not  but 
have  an  important  influence  on  a  man  with  Stan- 
ley's noble  and  •heroic  qualities.  It  was  a  new 
revelation  to  him.  He  had  met,  not  a  successful, 
bold  explorer,  but  a  Christian,  impelled  and  sus- 
tained by  the  great  and  noble  idea  of  regenerating 
a  race  and  honorinof  the  God  of  man  and  the  earth. 
Such  a  lengthenecf  companionship  with  a  man 
of  this  character  couH  but  lift  Stanley  to  a 
higher  plane,  and  inspire  hin  with  a  loftier  pur- 
pose than  that  of  a  mere  explorer. 

But  while  this  expedition  brought  out  all  the  pe- 
culiar traits  we  have  spoken  of,  yet  his  later  expedi- 
tion developed  quahties  which  circumstances  had 


LIVINGSTONE  AND  STANLEY,  ^9 

not  previously  shown.  When  from  this  he  emerged 
on  the  Atlantic  coast  with  his  company,  he  was 
hailed  with  acclamations  and  a  British  vessel  was 
placed  at  his  disposal  in  wliich  to  return  home.  But 
the  ease  and  comfort  offered  him,  and  the  applause 
awaiting  him,  were  nothing  compared  with  the 
comfort  and  welfare  of  the  savag  e  band  that  had 
for  so  long  a  time  been  his  companions  and  his 
only  reliance  in  the  perils  through  which  he  had 
passed.  True,  they  had  often  been  intractable, 
disobedient  and  trustless,  but  still  they  had  been 
his  companions  in  one  of  the  most  perilous  marches 
ever  attempted  by  man,  and  with  that  large  charity 
that  allowed  for  the  conduct  of  these  untutored, 
selfish  animals  of  the  desert,  he  forgot  it  all  and 
would  do  nothing,  think  of  nothing,  till  their  wants 
were  supplied  and  their  welfare  secured.  He 
would  see  them  safe  back  to  the  spot  from  which 
he  took  them,  and  did,  before  he  took  care  of  him- 
self. A  noble  nature  there  asserted  itself,  and  we 
doubt  not  that  every  one  of  those  poor  ignorant 
savages  would  go  to  the  death  for  that  brave  mam 
to  whom  their  own  welfare  was  so  dear. 

In  this  sketch  of  Mr.  Stanley,  as  it  appears  to 
us  from  the  record  of  his  life,  we  have  omitted  to 
notice  those  faults  which  are  incident  to  poor  hu- 
man nature,  in  whatever  person  it  is  enshrined. 
But  perhaps  this  is  as  good  a  place  as  any  to  notice 
the  charge  brought  against  him  by  some  persons 
in  the  English  press,  of  having  killed  natives,  not 


w 


AQ  IN  TITE   WIiLDS  OF  AFRICA, 

in  self-defense  but\  to  carry  out  his  explorations  ; 
they  asserting  that^aeither  for  fame  nor  science, 
nor  for  any  other  motive,  had  a  man  a  right  to  take 
the  hfe  of  his  fellow/ man.  Without  going  into 
an  argument  on  tWs  point,  or  bringing  forward 
the  circumstances  of  this  particular  case,  leaving 
that  to  be  explained  in  the  narrative,  as  it  will  ap- 
pear in  subsequent  pages,  we  wish  simply  to  say 
that  the  philanthropy  and  Christianity,  in  behalf 
of  which  the  charge  is  made,  is  pure  Pharisaism. 
Those  writers  asserted  that  life  should  be  taken 
only  in  self-defense.  But  in  their  eyes  it  is  right, 
from  mere  covetousness  to  seize  territory  in  In- 
dia, and  thus  provoke  the  rightful  owners  to  rise 
in  defense  of  their  own,  which  act  converts  them 
into  assailants  that  must  be  killed  in  self-defense. 
But  this  man  having  passed  through  friendly 
territory,  suddenly  finds  himself  stopped  by  hos- 
tile savages,  who  declare  that  he  must  retrace  his 
three  months'  journey  and  turn  back,  not  because 
they  are  to  be  despoiled  of  their  land,  or  wronged 
in  their  persons,  but  from  mere  savage  malicious- 
ness and  hate.  Mr.  Stanley  quietly  insists  on  con- 
tinuing his  journey,  desiring  no  conflict,  but  find- 
ing them  determined  to  kill  him  and  break  up  his 
expedition,  he  anticipates  their  movements  and 
shoots  down  some  of  them,  and  lo,  these  writers 
who  defend  the  slaughter  of  tens  of  thousands  of 
men  in  India,  so  that  England  may  enjoy  her  whole- 
sale robbery,  nay,  who  threaten  Europe  with  bloody 


IR/TICISMS  ON  STXnLEY. 


41 


war  at  the  mere  hint  that  others  may  want  to  share 
her  unjust  possessions — these  writers  call  on  the 
English  people  to  refuse  to  /give  Stanley  a  public 
reception,  because  he  killed  a  half-dozen  savages 
who  wanted  to  kill  him.  Hv-,  should  have  waited, 
they  say,  till  they  fired  the  first  shot ;  as  he  did  not 
his  conduct  should  be  investigated  by  the  philan- 
thropic subjects  of  Her  Majesty  the  Queen. 


CHAPTER  11. 

DESCRIPTION    OF   AFRICA. 

ALL  there  %  as  of  civilization  in  the  world 
was  found  at  one  time  in  Africa.  Art  and 
science  had  their  home  there,  while  now 
as  a  whole  it  is  regarded  as  the  most  benighted 
and  barbarous  portion  of  the  earth  and  is,  not 
inaptly,  called  "the  dark  continent/'  With  a 
breadth  at  the  equator  of  four  thousand  five  hun- 
dred miles,  with  the  exception  of  thin  lines  of  sea- 
coast  on  each  side,  this  vast  space  has  been  as 
much  unknown  as  the  surface  of  a  distant  planet. 
The  Barbary  States  and  Egypt  on  the  Mediter- 
ranean and  Red  Seas,  some  Portuguese  settle- 
ments on  the  Indian  Ocean,  the  English  and  Dutch 
colonies  of  South  Africa,  a  few  trading  ports  and 
the  English  and  American  colonies  in  Guinea, 
constituted  Africa,  so  far  as  the  knowledge  of  the 
civilized  world  went.  And  yet  within  these  outer 
rims  lay  real  Africa,  and  thqre  lived  its  immense 
population. 

The  vast  Desert  of  Sahara  on  the  north,  stretch- 
ing down  to  the  equator,  presented  an  impenetra- 
ble barrier  to  explorers  entering  from  that  direc- 
tion, while  along  the  eastern  and  western  coasts 
they  were  beaten  back  by  savage  tribes  or  fell 

(42) 


INACCESSIBILITY  OF  AFRICA.  a^ 

victims  to  the  diseases  of  the  country.  Matted 
forests,  wild  beasts  and  venomous  reptiles  were 
added  to  the  other  obstacles  that  beset  their  path, 
so  that  only  now  and  then  an  adventurous  ex- 
plorer penetrated  the  continent  itself. 

The  Nile,  piercing  to  the  equator,  seemed  the 
most  natural  avenue  by  which  to  enter  this  region,, 
but  the  slave  hunters  by  their  cruelty,  and  the 
petty  wars  they  had  engendered  among  the  vari- 
ous tribes,  made  the  presence  of  a  white  man  in 
their  midst  the  occasion  of  hostile  demonstrations. 
The  lofty  mountains  and  broad  rivers  that  came 
out  of  this  vast  unknown  region  added  to  the  mys- 
terious interest  that  enveloped  it.  Though  certain 
death  awaited  the  daring  traveler  who  endeavored 
to  penetrate  far  into  the  interior,  fresh  victims 
were  found  ready  to  peril  their  lives  in  the  effort 
to  solve  the  mystery  of  Central  Africa.  The  paths 
of  these  travelers,  when  traced  on  the  map,  ap- 
pears like  mere  punctures  of  the  great  continent. 
Missionary  effort  could  only  effect  a  lodgment 
along  the  coast,  while  colonies  remained  station- 
ary on  the  spot  where  they  were  first  planted. 

Although  holding  the  entire  southern  portion 
the  English  colony  could  make  but  little  headway 
against  the  tribes  that  confronted  them  on  the 
north.  The  most  adventurous  men  urged  not  by 
curiosity  or  desire  of  knowledge,  but  cupidity, 
penetrated  the  farthest  into  the  interior,  but,  in- 
stead of  throwing  light  o|i  those  dark  places,  they 


^  IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

made  them  seem  more  dark  and  terrible  by  tht 
miserable  naked  and  half-starved  wretches  they 
brought  out  to  civilization,  to  become  more 
wretched  still  by  the  life  of  slavery  to  which  they 
were  doomed. 

Hence  it  could  not  be  otherwise  than  that  the 
name  of  white  man  should  be  associated  with 
everything  revolting  and  cruel,  and  that  his  pres- 
ence among  these  wild  barbarians  should  awaken 
feelings  of  vengeance.  A  white  man,  to  those  in- 
land tribes,  represented  wrong  and  cruelty  alone. 
The  very  word  meant  separation  of  wives,  and 
husbands,  and  families,  and  carrying  away  to  a 
doom  whose  mystery  only  enhanced  its  actual 
horrors.  Hence  the  white  man's  rapacity  and 
cruelty  put  an  effectual  bar  to  his  curiosity  and 
enterprise.  The  love  of  knowledge  and  physical 
science  was  thwarted  by  the  love  of  sin  and  wrong, 
and  tne  civilized  world,  instead  of  wondering  at 
the  ignorance  and  barbarity  that  kept  back  all 
research  and  all  benevolent  effort,  should  wonder 
that  any  one  bearing  the  slightest  relationship  to 
the  so-called  outside  civilized  world,  should  have 
been  allowed  to  exist  for  a  day  where  these 
wronged,  outraged  savages  bore  sway. 

It  is  not  a  little  singular  that  the  first  real  en- 
croachment of  these  forbidden  regions  was  not 
made  by  daring  explorers  either  for  adventure  or 
geographical  knowledge,  or  to  extend  commerce, 
but  by  a  poor  missionary,  whose  sole  object  was 


EXTENT  OF  AFRICA.  ^  c 

to  get  the  Gospel  introduced  among  these  un- 
counted millions  of  heathen.  Livingstone  really 
broke  the  spell  that  hung  over  tropical  Africa,  and 
set  on  foot  movements  that  are  to  work  a  chancre 
in  the  continent  more  important  and  momentous 
than  the  imagination  of  man  can  at  present  con- 
ceive. 

It  is  the  tropical  region  of  Africa  that  gives 
birth  to  its  largest  rivers,  is  covered  by  its  most 
magnificent  forests,  is  crossed  by  its  loftiest  moun- 
tains, and  where  dwell  its  teeming  millions.  And 
this  is  the  unknown  part  of  the  continent  and  the 
central  point  toward  which  all  explorers  press. 

This  tropical  Africa  extends  from  about  ten  de- 
grees above  to  ten  degrees  below  the  equator,  and 
from  ten  to  thirty-five  east  longitude,  or  in  round 
numbers,  nearly  a  thousand  miles  above  and  be- 
low the  equator,  to  two  thousand  or  more  east 
and  west  between  these  parallels  of  latitudes. 
With  an  ordinary  map  before  him,  and  with  Zan- 
zibar on  the  east  and  Congo  on  the  west  as  great 
landmarks,  the  reader  will  get  a  very  clear  idea 
of  the  ground  aimed  at  and  touched,  or  pierced 
and  crossed  by  the  more  recent  explorers,  and  the 
thorough  final  explorations  of  which  will  unlock 
the  hidden  mystery  of  Africa,  and  open  all  there 
is  of  interest  to  both  the  Christian  and  commercial 
world.  That  to  the  former  there  is  a  field  to  be 
occupied  that  will  tax  the  self-sacrifice  and  be- 
nevolence of  the  Christian  world,  there  can  be  no 


46 


iN  THE   WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


doubt;  while  to  the  commercial  world  a  field  of 
equal  magnitude  and  importance  will  be  laid  open. 

From  the  mere  punctures  into  the  borders  of 
this  unknown  land,  and  the  two  slight  trails  re- 
cently made  across  it,  there  remains  no  doubt  that 
from  sixty  to  one  hundred  millions  of  men  are 
here  living  in  the  lowest  and  most  degraded  con- 
dition of  heathenism,  while  the  country  is  burdened 
with  those  articles  which  the  commercial  world 
needs  and  can  make  of  vast  benefit  to  man. 

A  glance  at  the  map  will  reveal  what  a  vast  ten 
ritory  remains  to  be  explored  and  what  a  mighty 
population  exists  there,  yet  to  come  into  contact 
with  the  civilized  world.  It  is  probable  that  that 
unexplored  region  between  the  equator  and  the 
great  Desert  of  Sahara  will  reveal  even  greater 
wonders  than  have  yet  been  discovered. 

It  is  a  little  strange  that  the  enterprise  and  the 
curiosity  of  man  should  urge  him  to  make  re- 
peated cosdy  and  vain  attempts  to  reach  the  north 
pole,  where  there  are  neither  inhabitants  nor 
articles  of  commerce,  while  one  of  the  largest 
continents  on  our  globe,  crowded  with  people  and 
rich  in  the  very  products  most  needed  by  man, 
should  be  allowed  to  remain  so  long  a  sealed  book, 

What  litrie  of  Africa  has  been  traversed  reveals 
untold  wealth  waiting  the  enterprising  hand  of 
commerce  to  bring  it  forth  to  civilization.  A  par- 
tial list  of  the  products  of  this  rich  country  will 
show  what  a  mine  of  wealth  it  is  destined  to  be. 


PRODUCTS  OF  THE  LAND.  .- 

Sugar-cane,  cotton,  coffee,  oil  palm,  tobacco,  spices, 
timber,  rice,  wheat,  Indian  corn,  India  rubber,  copal, 
hemp,  ivory,  iron,  copper,  silver,  gold  and  various 
other  articles  of  immense  value  are  found  here, 
and  some  of  them  in  the  greatest  profusion. 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  this  vast  continent,  which 
from  creation  seemed  destined  only  to  be  the  abode 
of  wild  beasts  and  reptiles,  and  of  man  as  wild  and 
savage  as  the  animals  amid  which  he  dwelt,  and 
who  when  brought  into  contact  with  civilization 
becomes  more  debased,  if  possible,  by  the  bondage 
in  which  he  is  kept,  contains  almost  everything  that 
civilization  needs,  and  in  a  future  which  now  seems 
near,  it  will  be  traversed  by  railroads  and  steam- 
boats, and  the  solitudes  that  have  echoed  for  thou- 
sands of  years  to  the  howl  of  wild  beasts  and  the 
yells  of  equally  wild  men,  will  resound  with  the 
hum  of  peaceful  industry  and  the  rush  and  roar  of 
commerce.     The  miserable  hut  will  give  way  to 
commodious  habitations,  and  the  disgusting  rites 
of  heathenism  to  the  worship  of  the  true  God. 
Reaching  to  the  temperate  zones,  north  and  south, 
it  presents  every  variety  of  climate   and   yields 
every   variety   of  vegetation.     What   effect   the 
great  revolution  awaiting  this  continent  will  have 
on  the  destiny  of  the  world,  none  can  tell.     He 
would  have  been  considered  a  mad  prophet  who 
would  have  predicted  one-half  of  the  changes  that 
the  discovery  of  the  American  continent,  less  than 
four  hundred  years  ago,  has  wrought.     None  can 


48 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


doubt  that  the  Creator  of  these  continents  had 
some  design  in  letting  this  one,  which  constitutes 
nearly  a  fourth  part  of  our  planet,  remain  in  dark- 
ness and  mystery  and  savage  debasement  so  long, 
and  now,  by  the  effort  of  one  missionary,  cause  it 
to  be  thrown  open  to  the  world. 


CHAPTER   III. 

•TANLEY's    search    for  LIVINGSTON!. 

WE  have  seen  how  suddenly  Mr.  Stanley 
was  called  from  Spain,  to  take  charge  of 
an  expedition  in  search  of  Livingstone, 
how  he  was  sent  to  see  Baker  who  was  about  to 
enter  Africa  from  the  north,  and  how  he  was  first 
sent  east.  But  the  time  came  at  last  for  him  to 
enter  upon  his  work  in  earnest,  and  he  sailed  from 
Bombay,  on  the  12th  of  October,  for  Zanzibar. 
On  board  the  barque  was  a  Scotchman,  named 
Farquhar,  acting  as  first  mate.  Taking  a  fancy  to 
him,  Stanley  engaged  him  to  accompany  the  expe- , 
dition  to  find  Livingstone. 

Nearly  three  months  later,  on  the  6th  of  Janu- 
ary, he  landed  at  Zanzibar,  one  of  the  most  fruitful 
islands  of  the  Indian  Ocean,  rejoicing  in  a  sultan 
of  its  own.  It  is  the  great  mart  to  which  come  the 
ivory,  gum,  copal,  hides,  etc.,  and  the  slaves  of  the 
interior.  Stanley  immediately  set  about  preparing 
for  his  expedition.  The  first  things  to  decide 
were :  How  much  money  is  required  ?  How  many 
pigeons  as  carriers?  How  many  soldiers?  How 
much  cloth?  How  many  beads?  How  much 
wire?  What  kinds  of  cloth  is  required  for  the 
different  tribes? 

4  (49) 


CQ  IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 

After  trying  to  figure  this  out  from  the  books 
of  other  travelers,  he  decided  to  consult  an  Arab 
merchant  who  had  fitted  out  several  caravans  for 
the  interior.  In  a  very  short  time  he  obtained 
more  information  than  he  had  acquired  from  books 
in  his  long  three  months'  voyage  from  India. 

Money  is  of  no  use  in  the  heart  of  Africa. 
Goods  of  various  kinds  are  the  only  coin  that  can 
purchase  what  the  traveler  needs,  or  pay  the  tri- 
bute that  is  exacted  by  the  various  tribes.  He 
found  that  forty  yards  of  cloth  per  day  would 
keep  one  hundred  men  supplied  with  food.  Thus, 
three  thousand  six  hundred  and  fifty  yards  of 
cloth  would  support  one  hundred  men  twelve 
months.  Next  to  cloths,  beads  were  the  best  cur- 
rency of  the  interior.  Of  these  he  purchased 
twenty  sacks  of  eleven  varieties  in  color  and  shape. 
Next  came  the  brass  wire,  of  which  he  purchased 
three  hundred  and  fifty  pounds,  of  about  tne  thick- 
ness of  telegraph  wire.  Next  came  the  provisions 
and  outfit  of  implements  that  would  be  needed — 
medicines,  arms,  donkeys,  and  last  of  all,  men. 

A  man  by  the  name  of  Shaw,  a  native  of  Eng- 
land, who  came  to  Zanzibar  as  third  mate  of  an 
American  ship,  from  which  he  was  discharged, 
applied  for  work,  and  was  engaged  by  Stanley  in 
getting  what  he  needed  together  and  to  accom-« 
pany  him  on  the  expedition.  He  agreed  to  give 
him  three  hundred  dollars  per  annum,  and  placed 
him  next  in  rank  to  Farquhar.     He  then  cast  about 


ZANZIBAR, 


ZANZIBAR, 
The  capital  of  the  island  of  Zanzibar,  off  the  east  coast  of  Africa. 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  THE  MARCH. 


53 


for  an  escort  of  twenty  men.  Five  who  had  ac- 
companied Speke,  and  were  called  ''Speke's  Faith- 
fuls/' among-  whom,  as  a  leader,  was  a  man  named 
Bombay,  were  first  engaged.  He  soon  got  to- 
gether eighteen  more  men  as  soldiers,  who  were 
to  receive  three  dollars  a  month.  Each  was  to 
have  a  flint-lock  musket,  and  be  provided  with  two 
hundred  rounds  of  ammunition.  Bombay  was  to 
receive  eighty  dollars  a  year,  and  the  other  "faith- 
fuls'* forty  dollars. 

Knowinof  that  he  was  to  enter  a  remon  of  vast 
inland  lakes,  and  that  much  delay  and  travel  might 
be  avoided  by  the  possession  of  a  large  boat,  he 
purchased  one  and  stripped  it  of  all  its  covering, 
to  make  the  transportation  easier.  He  also  had 
a  cart  constructed  to  fit  the  goat-paths  of  the  in- 
terior and  to  aid  in  transportation. 

When  all  his  purchases  were  completed  and 
collected  together,  he  found  that  the  combined 
weight  would  be  about  six  tons.  His  cart  and 
twenty  donkeys  would  not  suffice  for  this,  and  so 
the  last  thing  of  all,  was  to  procure  carriers,  or 
pagosi,  as  they  were  called.  He  himself  was 
presented  with  a  blooded  bay  horse  by  an  Ameri- 
can merchant  at  Zanzibar,  named  Gordhue,  for- 
merly of  Salem. 

On  the  4th  of  February,  1871,  twenty-eight 
days  from  his  arrival  at  Zanzibar,  Mr.  Stanley's 
equipment  was  completed  and  he  set  sail  for  Ba- 
gomayo,  twenty-five  miles  distant  on  the  mainland, 


rA  J^  ^^^   WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

from  which  all  caravans  start  for  the  interior,  and 
where  he  was  to  hire  his  one  hundred  and  forty  or 
more  pagosi  or  carriers.  He  was  immediately 
surrounded  with  men  who  attempted  in  everyway 
to  fleece  him,  and  he  was  harassed,  and  betrayed 
and  hindered  on  every  side.  But,  at  length,  all 
difficulties  were  overcome — the  goods  packed  in 
bales  weighing  seventy-two  pounds  each — the 
force  divided  into  five  caravans,  and  in  six  weeks 
after  he  entered  Bagomayo,  Stanley  himself  was 
ready  to  start.  The  first  caravan  had  departed 
February  iSth;  the  second,  February  21st;  the 
third,  February  25th;  the  fourth,  on  March  nth, 
and  the.  last  on  March  21st.  All  told,  the  number 
comprised  in  all  the  caravans  of  the  "Herald  Ex- 
pedition," was  one  hundred  and  ninety. 

It  was  just  seventy-three  days  after  Stanley 
landed  at  Zanzibar,  that  he  passed  out  of  Bago- 
mayo on  his  bay  horse,  with  his  last  caravan, 
accompanied  by  twenty-eight  carriers  and  twelve 
soldiers,  under  Bombay,  while  his  Arab  boy,  Selim, 
the  interpreter,  had  charge  of  the  cart  and  its  load. 

Out  through  a  narrow  lane  shaded  by  trees,  they 
passed,  the  American  flag  flying  in  front,  and  all 
in  the  highest  spirits.  Stanley  had  left  behind  him 
the  quarreling,  cheating  Arabs,  and  all  his  troubles 
with  them.  The  sun,  speeding  to  the  west,  was 
beckoning  him  on ;  his  heart  beat  high  with  hope 
and  ambition;  he  had  taken  a  new  departure  in 
life,  and  with  success  would  come  the  renown  he 


THE  START  INLAND,  ec 

SO  ardently  desired.  He  says,  "loveliness  glowed 
around  me;  I  saw  fertile  fields,  rich  vegetation, 
strange  trees;  I  heard  the  cry  of  cricket  and  pewit, 
and  jubilant  sounds  of  many  insects,  all  of  which 
seemed  to  tell  me,  *you  are  started.'  What  could 
I  do  but  lift  up  my  face  toward  the  pure,  glowing 
sky,  and  cry,  'God  be  thanked?'" 

The  first  camp  was  three  miles  and  a  half  distant. 
The  next  three  days  were  employed  in  completing 
the  preparations  for  the  long  land  journey  and  for 
meeting  the  rainy  season,  now  very  near,  and  on 
April  4th,  a  start  was  made  for  Unyanyembe,  the 
great  half-way  house,  which  he  resolved  to  reach  in 
three  months. 

The  road  was  a  mere  foot-path,  leading  through 
fields  in  which  naked  women  were  at  work,  who 
looked  up  and  laughed  and  giggled  as  they  passed. 
Passing  on,  they  entered  an  open  forest,  abound- 
ing in  deer  and  antelope.  Reaching  the  turbid 
Kingemi,  a  bridge  of  felled  trees  was  soon  made ; 
Stanley,  in  the  meantime  amusing  himself  with 
shooting  hippopotami,  or  rather  shooting  at  them, 
for  his  small  bullets  made  no  more  impression  on 
their  thick  skulls  than  peas  would  have  done. 
Crossing  to  the  opposite  shore,  he  found  the  trav- 
eling better.  They  arrived  at  Kikoka,  a  distance 
of  but  ten  miles,  at  5  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
having  been  compelled  to  unload  the  animals 
during  the  day,  to  cross  the  river  and  mud  pools. 
This  was  slow  marching,  and  at  this  rate  of  speed 


56 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


it  would  take  a  long  time  to  reach  the  heart  of 
Africa.  The  settlement  was  a  collection  of  rude 
huts.  Though  bound  to  the  same  point  that  Speke 
and  Burton  had  reached,  Ujiji,  Stanley  took  a  differ- 
ent route  from  them,  and  one  never  traveled  by  a 
white  man  before. 

On  the  27th,  he  left  this  place  and  moved  west- 
ward over  a  rolling,  monotonous  country,  until  they 
came  to  Rosako,  the  province  of  Ukwee.  Just 
before  his  departure  the  next  morning,  Magonga, 
the  leader  of  the  fourth  caravan,  came  up  and  told 
him  that  three  of  his  carriers  were  sick,  and  asked 
for  some  medicine.  He  found  the  three  men  in 
great  terror,  believing  they  were  about  to  die,  and 
crying  out  like  children,  *'  Mama,  mama."  Leaving 
them,  with  orders  to  hurry  on  as  soon  as  possible, 
he  departed.  The  country  everywhere  was  in  a 
state  of  nature  except  in  the  neighborhood  of  vil- 
lages. Sheltered  by  the  dense  forests,  he  toiled  on 
but  was  so  anxious  about  the  fourth  caravan  left 
behind  that,  after  marching  nine  miles  he  ordered 
a  halt  and  made  a  camp.  It  soon  swarmed  with 
insects,  and  he  set  to  work  to  examine  them  and 
see  if  they  were  the  tsetse,  said  to  be  fatal  to  horses 
in  Africa.  Still  waiting  for  the  caravan,  he  went 
hunting,  but  soon  found  himself  in  such  an  impene- 
trable jungle  and  swamp,  filled  with  alligators,  that 
he  resolved  never  to  make  the  attempt  again. 
The  second  and  third  days  passing  without  the 
arrival  of  the  caravan,  he  5^Qnt  Shaw  and  Bombay 


WRETCHED  SURROUNDINGS. 


57 


back  after  it,  who  brought  it  up  on  the  fourth  day. 
Leaving  it  to  rest  in  his  own  camp,  he  pushed  on 
five  miles  to  the  village  of  Kingaru,  set  in  a  deep, 
damp,  pestiferous-looking  hollow,  surrounded  by 
pools  of  water.  To  add  to  the  gloominess  of  the 
scene,  a  pouring  rain  set  in,  which  soon  filled  their 
camping- place  with  lakelets  and  rivulets  of  water. 
Toward  eveninor  the  rain  ceased,  and  the  villagers 
began  to  pour  in  with  their  vendibles.  Foremost 
was  the  chief,  brinorinof  with  him  three  measures 
of  matama  and  a  half  a  measure  of  rice,  which  he 
begged  Stanley  to  accept.  The  latter  saw  through 
the  trickery  of  this  meagre  present,  in  offering 
which  the  chief  called  him  the  ''rich  sultan."  Stan- 
ley asked  him  why,  if  he  was  a  rich  sultan,  the 
chief  of  Kingaru  did  not  bring  him  a  rich  present, 
that  he  micrht  ^rive  him  a  rich  one  in  return.  "Ah," 
replied  the  blear-eyed  old  fox,  *'  Kingaru  is  poor, 
there  is  no  matama  in  the  village."  ''Well,"  said 
Stanley,  "if  there  is  no  matama  in  the  village,  I 
can  give  but  a  yard  of  cloth,"  which  would  be 
equivalent  to  his  present.  Foiled  in  his  sharp 
practice  the  chief  had  to  be  content  with  this. 

At  this  place  he  lost  one  of  his  horses.  The 
burial  of  the  carcass  not  far  from  the  encampment, 
raised  a  terrible  commotion  in  the  village,  and  the 
inhabitants  assembled  in  consultation  as  to  how 
much  they  must  charge  him  for  burying  a  horse 
in  their  village  without  permission,  and  soon  the 
wrinkled  old  chief  was  also  at  the  camp,  and  the 


58 


IN  THE   WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


following  dialogue  took  place,  which  is  given  as 
an  illustration  of  the  character  of  the  people  with 
whom  he  was  to  have  a  year's  trading  inter- 
course : 

White  Man — "Are  you  the  great  chief  of  King- 
aru?" 

Kingaru — "  Huh-uh — yes/' 

W.  M. — "The  great,  great  chief?" 

Kingaru — "  Huh-uh — yes/' 

W.  M.— "  How  many  soldiers  have  you  ?'' 

Kingaru—"  Why  ?" 

W.  M. — "  How  many  fighting  men  have  you  ?" 

Kingaru — "  None/' 

W.  M. — "  Oh !  I  thought  you  might  have  a 
thousand  men  with  you,  by  your  going  to  fine  a 
strong  white  man  who  has  plenty  of  guns  and 
soldiers  two  doti  for  burying  a  dead  horse/' 

Kingaru  (rather  perplexed) — "No;  I  have  no 
soldiers.     I  have  only  a  few  young  men/' 

W.  M. — "  Why  do  you  come  and  make  trouble, 
then  ?" 

Kingaru—"  It  was  not  I ;  it  was  my  brothers 
who  said  to  me,  '  Come  here,  come  here,  Kingaru, 
see  what  the  white  man  has  done  !  Has  he  not 
taken  possession  of  your  soil,  in  that  he  has  put 
his  horse  into  your  ground  without  your  permis- 
sion ?  Come,  go  to  him  and  see  by  what  right!' 
Therefore  have  I  come  to  ask  you  who  gave  you 
permission  to  use  my  soil  for  a  burying-ground  ?" 

W.  M.— "I   want  no   man's  permission  to  do 


DEATH  OF  THE  HORSES,  rg 

what  is  right.  My  horse  died;  had  I  left  him  to 
fester  and  stink  in  your  valley,  sickness  would 
visit  your  village,  your  water  would  become 
unwholesome,  and  caravans  would  not  stop  here 
for  trade  ;  for  they  would  say,  'This  is  an  unlucky 
spot  let  us  go  away/  But  enough  said  ;  I  under- 
stand you  to  say  you  do  not  want  him  buried  in 
your  ground  ;  the  error  I  have  fallen  into  is  easily 
put  right.  This  minute  my  soldiers  shall  dig  him 
out  again  and  cover  up  the  soil  as  it  was  before, 
and  the  horse  shall  be  left  where  he  died."  (Then 
shouting  to  Bombay).  "Ho,  Bombay,  take  sol- 
diers with  jeinbes  to  dig  my  horse  out  of  the 
ground;  drag  him  to  where  he  died  and  make 
everything  ready  for  a  march  to-morrow  morn- 

ing.'; 

Kingaru,  his  voice  considerably  higher  and  his 
head  moving  to  and  fro  widi  emotion,  cries  out, 
"  Akuna,  akuna,  Bana  " — no,  no,  master.  ''Let  not 
the  white  man  get  angry.  The  horse  is  dead  and 
now  lies  buried ;  let  him  remain  so,  since  he  is 
already  there,  and  let  us  be  friends  again." 

The  matter  had  hardly  been  settled,  when  Stan- 
ley heard  deep  groans  issuing  from  one  of  the 
animals.  On  inquiry,  he  found  that  they  came 
from  the  bay  horse.  He  took  a  lantern  and 
visited  him,  staying  all  night  and  working  to  save 
his  life.  It  was  in  vain — in  the  morning  he  died, 
leaving  him  now  without  any  horse,  which  reduced 
him  to  donkey  riding.     Three  days  passed,  and 


6o 


IN  THE   WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


the  lagging  caravan  had  not  come  up.  In  the 
meantime,  one  of  his  carriers  deserted,  while  sick- 
ness attacked  the  camp,  and  out  of  his  twenty-five 
men,  ten  were  soon  on  the  sick  list.  On  the  4th, 
the  caravan  came  up,  and  on  the  following  morn- 
ing was  dispatched  forward,  the  leader  being 
spurred  on  with  the  promise  of  a  liberal  reward 
if  he  hurried  to  Unyanyembe.  The  next  morning, 
to  rouse  his  people,  he  beat  an  alarm  on  a  tin  pan, 
and  before  sunrise  they  were  on  the  march,  the 
villai^ers  rushincr  like  wolves  into  the  deserted 
camp  to  pick  up  any  rags  or  refuse  left  behind. 
The  march  of  fifteen  miles  to  Imbike  showed  a 
great  demoralization  in  his  men,  many  of  them 
not  coming  up  till  nightfall.  One  of  the  carriers 
had  deserted  on  the  way,  taking  with  him  a  quan- 
tity of  cloth  and  beads.  The  next  morning,  before 
starting,  men  were  sent  in  pursuit  of  him.  They 
made  that  day,  the  8th,  but  ten  miles  to  Msuwa. 
Though  the  journey  was  short,  it  was  the  most 
fatiguing  one  of  all.  As  it  gives  a  vivid  descrip- 
tion of  the  difficulties  experienced  in  traveling 
through  this  country,  we  quote  Stanley's  own 
lancruacre: 

"  It  was  one  continuous  jungle,  except  three  in- 
terjacent glades  of  narrow  limits,  which  gave  us 
three  breathing  pauses  in  the  dire  task  of  jungle- 
traveling.  The  odor  emitted  from  its  fell  plants 
was  so  rank,  so  pungently  acrid,  and  the  miasma 
from  its  decayed  vegetation  so  dense,  that  I  ex- 


JUNGLE  TRAVEL.  gj 

pected  every  moment  to  see  myself  and  men  fall 
down  in  paroxysms  of  acute  fever.  Happily  this 
evil  was  not  added  to  that  of  loading  and  unload- 
ing the  frequently  falling  packs.  Seven  soldiers 
to  attend  seventeen  laden  donkeys,  were  entirely 
too  small  a  number  while  passing  through  a 
jungle  ;  for  while  the  path  is  but  a  foot  wide,  with 
a  wall  of  thorny  plants  and  creepers  bristling  on 
each  side,  and  projecting  branches  darting  across 
it,  with  knots  of  spiky  twigs,  stiff  as  spike-nails, 
ready  to  catch  and  hold  anything  above  four  feet 
in  height,  it  is  but  reasonable  to  suppose  that 
donkeys,  standing  four  feet  high,  with  loads 
measuring  across,  from  bale  to  bale,  four  feet, 
would  come  to  grief. 

"This  grief  was  of  frequent  recurrence  here, 
causing  us  to  pause  every  few  minutes  for  re-ar- 
rangements. So  often  had  this  task  to  be  per- 
formed, that  the  men  got  perfectly  discouraged, 
and  had  to  be  spoken  to  sharply  before  they 
would  set  to  work.  By  the  time  I  reached  Msuwa, 
there  was  nobody  with  me  and  the  ten  donkeys  I 
drove  but  Mabruk,  who  perseveringly,  though  gen- 
erally stolid,  stood  to  his  work  like  a  man.  Bom- 
bay and  Uledi  were  far  behind  with  the  most  jaded 
donkeys.  Shaw  was  in  charge  of  the  cart,  and 
his  experiences  were  most  bitter,  as  he  informed 
me  he  had  expended  the  whole  vocabulary  of 
stormy  abuse  known  to  sailors,  and  a  new  one 
which  he  had  invented  ex  tempore.     He  did  not 


52  ^^  THE  WILDS  OF  AI^RICA, 

arrive  until  two  o'clock  next  morning,  and  was  com- 
pletely  worn  out.  Truly,  I  doubt  if  the  most 
pious  divine,  in  traveling  through  that  long  jungle, 
under  those  circumstances,  with  such  oft-recur- 
ring annoyances,  Sisyphean  labor,  could  have 
avoided  cursing  his  folly  for  coming  hither." 

A  halt  was  made  here,  that  men  and  animals 
might  recuperate.  The  chief  of  this  village  was 
"a  white  man  in  everything  but  color,"  and  brought 
him  the  choicest  mutton.  He  and  his  subjects 
were  intelligent  enough  to  comprehend  the  utility 
of  his  breech-loading  guns,  and  by  their  gestures 
illustrated  their  comprehension  of  the  deadly  ef- 
fects of  those  weapons  in  battle. 

On  the  loth,  somewhat  recuperated,  the  caravan 
left  this  hospitable  village  and  crossed  a  beautiful 
little  plain,  with  a  few  cultivated  fields,  from  which 
the  tillers  stared  in  wonder  at  the  unwonted 
spectacle  it  presented.  But  here  Stanley  met  one 
of  those  sights  common  in  that  part  of  the  world, 
but  which,  it  is  to  be  hoped,  will  soon  be  seen  no 
more.  It  was  a  chained  slave-gang,  bound  east. 
He  says  the  slaves  did  not  appear  to  be  in  the 
least  down-hearted,  on  the  contrary,  they  were 
jolly  and  gay.  But  for  the  chains,  there  was  no 
difference  between  master  and  slave.  The  chains 
were  heavy,  but  as  men  and  women  bad  nothing 
else  to  carry,  being  entirely  naked,  their  weight, 
he  says,  could  not  have  been  insupportable. 
He  camped  at  lo  a.  m.,  and  fired  two  guns,  to 


THE  BELLES  OF  KISEMO. 


63 


show  they  were  ready  to  trade  with  any  of  the 
natives  in  the  region.  The  halting-place  was 
Kisemo,  only  twelve  miles  from  Msuwa  which  was 
the  centre  of  a  populous  district,  there  being  no 
less  than  five  villages  in  the  vicinity  fortified  by 
stakes  and  thorny  abattis,  as  formidable,  in  their 
way,  as  the  old  fosse  and  draw-bridge  of  feudal 
times.  "The  belles  of  Kisemo,"  he  says,  "are  of 
gigantic  posterioral  proportions,''  and  are  "noted 
for  their  variety  in  brass  wire,  which  is  wound  in 
spiral  rings  round  their  wrists  and  ankles,  and  for 
the  varieties  of  style  which  their  wisped  heads 
exhibit;  while  their  poor  lords,  obliged  to  be  con- 
tented with  dingy,  torn  clouts  and  split  ears,  show 
what  wide  sway  Asmodeus  holds  over  this  ter- 
restrial sphere — for  it  must  have  been  an  unhappy 
time  when  the  hard  besieged  husbands  gave  way 
before  their  hotly-pressing  spouses.  Besides  these 
brassy  ornaments  on  their  extremities,  the  women 
of  Kisemo  frequently  wear  lengthy  necklaces, 
which  run  in  rivers  of  colors  down  their  black 
bodies.''  But  a  more  comical  picture  is  seldom 
presented  than  that  of  one  of  those  highly-dressed 
females,  "with  their  huge  posterior  development, 
while  grinding  out  corn.  This  is  done  in  a 
machine  very  much  like  an  old-fashioned  churn, 
except  the  dasher  becomes  a  pestle  and  the  churn 
a  mortar.  Swaying  with  the  pestle,  as  it  rises  and 
falls,  the  breast  and  posteriors  correspond  to  the 
strokes  of  the  dasher  in  a  droll  sort  of  sing-song, 


64 


IN  THE   WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


which  gave  to  the  whole  exhibition  the  drollesi 
effect  Imaginable/' 

A  curious  superstition  of  the  natives  was  brought 
to  light  here  by  Shaw  removing  a  stone  while  put- 
ting up  his  tent.  As  he  did  so,  the  chief  rushed 
forward,  and  putting  it  back  in  its  place,  solemnly 
stood  upon  It.  On  being  asked  what  was  the 
matter,  he  carefully  lifted  it,  pointed  to  an  insect 
pinned  by  a  stick  to  the  ground,  which  he  said  had 
been  the  cause  o-f  a  miscarriage  cf  a  female  of  the 
village. 

In  the  afternoon  the  messengers  came  back  with 
the  deserter  and  all  the  stolen  goods.  Some  of 
the  natives  had  captured  him  and  were  about  to 
kill  him  and  take  the  goods,  when  the  messengers 
came  up  and  claimed  both.  He  was  given  up,  his 
captors  being  content  with  receiving  a  lltde  cloth 
and  a  few  beads  in  return.  Stanley,  with  great 
sagacity,  caused  the  thief  to  be  tried  by  the  other 
carriers,  who  condemned  him  to  be  flogged.  They 
were  ordered  to  carry  out  their  own  sentence, 
which  they  did  amid  the  yells  of  the  culprit. 

Before  niorht  a  caravan  arrived,  brinq-ino-,  amonor 
Other  things,  a  copy  of  the  Herald,  containing  an 
account  of  a  Presidential  levee  in  Washin^^ton,  in 
which  the.  toilette  of  the  various  ladles  were  given. 
While  engrossed  in  reading  in  his  tent,  Stanley 
suddenly  became  aware  that  his  tent-door  was 
darkened,  and  looking  up,  he  saw  the  chief's 
daughters   gazing  with   wondering   eyes  on   the 


NEWS  OF  LIVINGSTONE. 


65 


great  sheets  of  paper  he  was  scanninor  so  closely. 
The  sight  of  these  naked  beauties,  glittering  in 
brass  wire  and  beads,  presented  a  ludicrous  con- 
trast to  the  elaborately-dressed  belles  of  whom  he 
had  been  reading  in  the  paper,  and  made  him 
feel,  by  contrast,  in  what  a  different  world  he  was 
living. 

On  the  1 2th,  the  caravan  reached  Munondi,  on 
the  Ungerangeri  River.  The  country  was  open 
and  beautiful,  presenting  a  natural  park,  while  the 
roads  were  good,  making  the  day's  journey  de- 
lightful. Flowers  decked  the  ground,  and  the 
perfume  of  sweet-smelling  shrubs  filled  the  air. 
As  they  approached  the  river,  they  came  upon 
fields  of  Indian  corn  and  gardens  filled  with  vege- 
tables, while  stately  trees  lined  the  bank.  On  the 
14th,  they  crossed  the  river  and  entered  the 
Wakami  territory.  This  day  and  the  next  the 
road  lay  through  a  charming  country.  The  day 
following,  they  marched  through  a  forest  between 
two  mountains  rising  on  either  side  of  them,  and 
on  the  1 6th  reached  the  territory  of  Wosigahha. 
As  he  approached  the  village  of  Muhalleh  he  was 
greeted  with  the  discharge  of  musketry.  It  came 
from  the  fourth  caravan,  which  had  halted  here. 
Here  also  good  news  awaited  him.  An  Arab 
chief,  with  a  caravan  bound  east,  was  in  the  place, 
and  told  him  that  he  had  met  Livingstone  at  Ujiji, 
and  had  lived  in  the  next  hut  to  him  for  two  weeks. 
He  described  him  as  looking  old,  with  long,  gray 

5 


65  m  THE  WiLDS  OF  AFRICA. 

mustache  and  beard,  just  recovered  from  Illness, 
and  looking  very  wan.  He  said,  moreover,  that 
he  was  fully  recovered,  and  was  going  to  visit  a 
country  called  Monyima.  This  was  cheering  news, 
indeed,  and  filled  Stanley's  heart  with  joy  and 
hope.  The  valley  here,  with  its  rich  crops  of  In- 
dian corn,  was  more  like  some  parts  of  the  fertile 
west  than  a  desert  country.  But  the  character 
of  the  natives  began  to  change.  They  became 
more  insolent  and  brutal,  and  accompanied  their 
requests  with  threats. 

Continuing  their  journey  along  the  valley  of  the 
river,  they  suddenly,  to  their  astonishment,  came 
upon  a  walled  town  containing  a  thousand  houses. 
It  rose  before  them  like  an  apparition  with  its  gates 
and  towers  of  stone  and  double  row  of  loop-holes 
for  musketry.  The  fame  of  Stanley  had  preceded 
him,  being  carried  by  the  caravans  he  had  dis- 
patched ahead,  and  a  thousand  or  more  of  the 
inhabitants  came  out  to  see  him.  This  fortified 
town  was  established  by  an  adventurer  famous  for 
his  kidnapping  propensities.  A  barbaric  orator,  a 
man  of  powerful  strength  and  of  cunning  address, 
he  naturally  acquired  an  ascendency  over  the  rude 
tribes  of  the  region,  and  built  him  a  capital,  and 
fortified  it  and  became  a  self-appointed  sultan. 
Growing  old,  he  changed  his  name,  which  had  been 
a  terror  to  the  surrounding  tribes,  and  also  the 
name  of  his  capital,  and  just  before  death,  be- 
queathed his  power  to  his  eldest  daughter,  and  in 


AFRICAN  FE  VER. 


m 


her  honor  named  the  town  Sultana,  which  name 
it  still  bears.  The  women  and  children  hung  on 
the  rear  of  Stanley's  caravan,  filled  with  strange 
curiosity  at  sight  of  this  first  white  man  they  had 
ever  seen,  but  the  scorching  sun  drove  them  back 
one  by  one,  and  when  Stanley  pitched  his  camp, 
four  miles  farther  on,  he  was  unattended.  He. 
determined  to  halt  here  for  two  days  to  overhaul 
his  baggage  and  give  the  donkeys,  whose  backs 
had  become  sore,  time  to  recuperate.  On  the 
second  day,  he  was  attacked  with  the  African  fever, 
similar  to  the  chills  and  fever  of  the  west  and  south- 
west. He  at  once  applied  the  remedies  used  in 
the  Western  States,  using  powerful  doses  of  qui- 
nine,  and  in  three  days  he  pronounced  himself 
well  again. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


WILD    EXPERIENCES. 


STANLEY  had  now  traveled  one  hundred 
and  nineteen  miles  in  fourteen  marches, 
occupying  one  entire  month  lacking  one 
day,  and  making,  on  an  average,  four  miles  a  day. 
This  was  slow  work.  The  rainy  season  now  set 
in,  and  day  after  day  it  was  a  regular  down-pour. 
Stanley  was  compelled  to  halt,  while  disgusting 
insects,  beetles,  bugs,  wasps,  centipedes,  worms 
and  almost  every  form  of  the  lower  animal  life, 
took  possession  of  his  tent,  and  gave  him  the  first 
real  taste  of  African  life. 

On  the  morning  of  the  23d  of  April,  he  says  the 
rain  held  up  for  a  short  time  and  he  prepared  to 
cross  the  river,  now  swollen  and  turbid.  The 
bridge  over  which  he  carried  his  baggage  was  of 
the  most  primitive  kind,  while  the  donkeys  had  to 
swim.  The  passage  occupied  five  hours,  yet  it 
was  happily  accomplished  without  any  casualties. 
Reloading  his  baggage  and  wringing  out  his 
clothes,  he  set  out  again,  leaving  the  river  and  fol- 
lowing a  path  that  led  off  in  a  northerly  direction. 

With  his  heart  light  and  cheerful  by  being  once 
more  on  the  march  and  out  of  the  damp  and  hate- 
ful valley,  which  was  made  still  more  hateful  by 

(68) 


SLOW  MARCHING. 


69 


the  disgusting  insect  life  that  filled  his  tent,  he 
ascended  to  higher  ground,  and  passed  with  his 
caravan  through  successive  glades,  which  opened 
one  after  another  between  forest  clumps  of  trees 
hemmed  in  distantly  by  isolated  peaks  and  scat- 
tered mountains.  "Now  and  then,"  he  says,  "as 
we  crested  low  eminences,  we  caught  sight  of  the 
blue  Usagara  Mountains,  bounding  the  horizon 
westerly  and  northerly,  and  looked  down  on  a 
vast  expanse  of  plain  which  lay  between.  At  the 
foot  of  the  lengthy  slope,  well  watered  by  bubbling 
springs  and  mountain  rills,  we  found  a  comfortable 
Khembi  with  well-made  huts,  which  the  natives 
call  Simbo.  It  lies  just  two  hours,  or  five  miles, 
northwest  from  the  Unoreren^eri  crossincr." 

We  here  get  incidentally  the  rapidity  with 
which  he  traveled,  where  the  face  of  the  country 
and  the  roads  gave  him  the  greatest  facilities  for 
quick  marching,  two  "hours  or  five  miles,"  he 
says,  which  makes  his  best  time  two  and  a  half 
miles  an  hour.  In  this  open,  beautiful  country  no 
-villages  or  settlements  could  be  seen,  though  he 
was  told  there  were  many  in  the  mountain  in- 
closures,  the  inhabitants  of  which  were  false,  dis- 
honest and  murderous. 

On  the  morning  of  the  24th,  as  they  were  about 
to  leave,  Simbo,  his  Arab  cook,  was  caught  for  the 
fifth  time  pilfering,  and  it  being  proved  against 
him,  Stanley  ordered  a  dozen  lashes  to  be  inflicted 
on  him  as  a  punishment,  and  Shaw  was  ordered 


70 


IN  THE  WILBS  OF  AFRICA, 


to  administer  them.  The  blows  being  given 
through  his  clothes,  did  not  hurt  him  much,  but 
the  stern  decree  that  he,  with  his  donkey  and 
baggage,  should  be  expelled  from  camp  and  turned 
adrift  in  the  forests  of  Africa,  drove  him  wild,  and 
leaving  donkey  and  everything  else,  he  rushed 
out  of  camp  and  started  for  the  mountains.  Stan- 
ley, wishing  only  to  frighten  him,  and  having  no 
idea  of  leaving  the  poor  fellow  to  perish  at  the 
hands  of  the  natives,  sent  a  couple  of  his  men  to 
recall  him.  But  it  was  of  no  use;  the  poor, 
frightened  wretch  kept  on  for  the  mountains,  and 
was  soon  out  of  sight  altogether.  Believing  he 
would  think  better  of  it  and  return,  his  donkey 
was  tied  to  a  tree  near  the  camping-ground,  and 
the  caravan  started  forward  and  having  passed 
through  the  Makata  Valley,  which  afterward  be- 
came of  sorrowful  memory,  it  halted  at  Rehen- 
neko  at  the  base  of  the  Usagara  Mountains. 

This  valley  is  a  wilderness  covered  with  bam- 
boo, and  palm,  and  other  trees,  with  but  one  vil- 
lage on  its  broad  expanse,  through  which  the  hart- 
beest,  the  antelope  and  the  zebra  roam.  In  the 
lower  portions,  the  mud  was  so  deep  that  it  took 
ten  hours  to  go  ten  miles,  and  the  company  was 
compelled  to  encamp  in  the  woods  when  but  half- 
way across.  Bombay  with  the  cart  did  not  get  in 
till  near  midnight,  and  he  brought  the  dolorous 
tale  that  he  had  lost  the  property-tent,  an  axe,  be- 
sides coats,  shirts,  beads,  cloth,  pistol  and  hatchet 


IRREPARABLE  LOSSES. 


TV 


and  powder.  He  said  he  had  left  them  a  nttle 
while  that  he  might  help  lift  the  cart  out  of  a  mud- 
hole  and  during  his  absence  they  disappeared. 
This  told  to  Stanley  at  midnight  roused  all  his 
wrath,  and  he  poured  a  perfect  storm  of  abuse  on 
the  cringing  Arab,  and  he  took  occasion  to  over- 
haul his  conduct  from  the  start.  The  cloth  if  ever 
found,  he  said,  would  be  spoiled,  the  axe,  which 
would  be  needed  at  Ujiji  to  construct  a  boat,  was 
an  irreparable  loss,  to  say  nothing  of  the  pistol, 
powder  and  hatchet,  and  worse  than  all,  he  had 
not  brought  back  the  cook,  whom  he  knew  there 
was  no  intention  to  abandon,  and  Stanley  then 
and  there  told  him  he  would  degrade  him  from 
office  and  put  another  man  in  his  place,  and  then 
dismissed  him,  with  orders  to  return  at  daylight 
and  find  the  missing  property.  Four  more  were 
now  dispatched  after  the  missing  cook,  and  Stan- 
ley halted  three  days  to  wait  the  return  of  his 
men.  In  the  meantime,  provisions  ran  low,  and 
though  there  was  plenty  of  game,  it  was  so  wild 
that  but  little  could  be  obtained,  he  being  able  to 
secure  but  two  potfuls  in  two  days'  shooting,  but 
these  were  quail,  grouse  and  pigeons.  On  the 
fourth  day,  becoming  exceedingly  anxious,  he  dis- 
patched Shaw  and  two  more  soldiers  after  the 
missing  men.  Toward  night  he  returned,  sick 
with  ague,  bringing  the  soldiers  with  him,  but  not 
the  missing  cook.  The  soldiers  reported  that 
they  had   marched  immediately  back   to  Simbo 


72 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


and  having  searched  in  vain  in  the  vicinity  for  the 
missing  man,  they  went  to  the  bridge  over  the 
river  to  inquire  there.  They  were  told,  so  they 
said,  that  a  white  donkey  had  crossed  the  river  in 
another  place  driven  by  some  Washensi.  Believ- 
ing the  cook  had  been  murdered  by  those  men 
who  were  making  off  with  his  property,  th^y 
hastened  to  the  walled  town  and  told  the  war- 
riors of  the  western  gate  that  two  Washensi,  who 
had  murdered  a  man  belonging  to  the  white  man, 
must  have  passed  the  place,  with  a  white  donkey. 
They  were  immediately  conducted  to  the  sultana, 
who  had  much  of  the  spirit  of  her  father,  to  whom 
they  told  their  story.  Of  the  results,  Stanley 
says: 

"  The  sultana  demanded  of  the  watchmen  of  the 
towers  if  they  had  seen  the  two  Washensi  with  the 
white  donkey  The  watchmen  answered  in  the 
affirmative,  upon  which  she  at  once  dispatched 
twenty  of  her  musketeers  in  pursuit  to  Muhalleh. 
These  returned  before  night,  bringing  with  them 
the  two  Washensi  and  the  donkey,  with  the  cook's 
entire  kit.  The  sultana,  who  is  evidently  pos- 
sessed of  her  father's  energy,  with  all  his  lust  for 
wealth,  had  my  messengers,  the  two  Washensi, 
the  cook's  donkey  and  property  at  once  brought 
before  her.  The  two  Washensi  were  questioned 
as  to  how  they  became  possessed  of  the  donkey 
and  such  a  store  of  Kisunga  clothes,  cloth  and 
beads;  to  which  they  answered   that  they  had 


THE  SULTANA'S  JUDGMENT.  7^ 

found  the  donkey  tied  to  a  tree  with  the  property 
on  the  ground  close  to  it ;  that  seeing  no  owner 
or  claimant  anywhere  in  the  neighborhood,  they 
thought  they  had  a  right  to  it,  and  accordingly  had 
taken  it  with  them.  ]\Iy  soldiers  were  then  asked 
if  they  recognized  the  donkey  and  property,  to 
which  questions  they  unhesitatingly  made  answer 
that  they  did.  They  further  informed  Her  High- 
ness that  they  were  not  only  sent  after  the  donkey, 
but  also  after  the  owner,  who  had  deserted  their 
master  s  service ;  that  they  would  like  to  know 
from  the  Washensi  what  they  had  done  with  him. 
Her  Highness  was  also  anxious  to  know  what  the 
Washensi  had  done  with  the  Hindi,  and  accord- 
ingly, in  order  to  elicit  the  fact,  she  charged  them 
with  murdering  him,  and  informed  them  she  but 
wished  to  know  what  they  had  done  with  the 
body. 

"The  Washensi  declared  most  earnestly  that 
they  had  spoken  the  truth,  that  they  had  never 
seen  any  such  man  as  described ;  and  if  the  sul- 
tana desired,  they  would  swear  to  such  a  state- 
ment. Her  Highness  did  not  wish  them  to  swear 
to  what  in  her  heart  she  believed  to  be  a  lie,  but 
she  would  chain  them  and  send  them  in  charge  of 
a  caravan  to  Zanzibar  to  Lyed  Burghosh,  who 
would  know  what  to  do  with  them.  Then  turn- 
ing to  my  soldiers,  she  demanded  to  know  why 
the  Musungu  had  not  paid  the  tribute  for  which ' 
she  had  sent  her  chiefs.     The  soldiers  could  not 


^A  IN  THE   WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

answer,  knowing  nothing  of  such  concerns  of  theif 
master's.  The  heiress  of  Kisabengo,  true  to  the 
character  of  her  robber  sire,  then  informed  my 
trembhng  men  that,  as  the  Musungu  had  not  paid 
the  tribute,  she  would  now  take  it;  their  guns 
should  be  taken  from  them,  together  with  that  of 
the  cook ;  the  cloth  and  beads  found  on  the 
donkey  she  would  also  take,  the  Hindi's  personal 
clothes  her  chiefs  should  retain,  while  they  them- 
selves should  be  chained  until  the  Musungu  him- 
^If  should  return  and  take  them  by  force. 

"  And  as  she  threatened,  so  was  it  done.  For 
sixteen  hours  my  soldiers  were  in  chains  in  the 
market-place,  exposed  to  the  taunts  of  the  servile 
populace.  It  chanced  the  next  day,  however,  that 
Sheikh  Thani,  whom  I  met  at  Kingaru,  and  had 
since  passed  by  five  days,  had  arrived  at  Limbam- 
wanni,  and  proceeding  to  the  town  to  purchase 
provisions  for  the  crossing  of  the  Makata  wilder- 
ness, saw  my  men  in  chains  and  at  once  recog- 
nized them  as  being  in  my  employ.  After  hearing 
their  story,  the  good-hearted  sheikh  sought  the 
presence  of  the  sultana,  and  informed  her  that  she 
was  doing  very  wrong — a  wrong  that  -could  only 
terminate  in  blood.  'The  Musungu  is  strong,'  he 
said,  *  very  strong.  He  has  got  ten  guns  which 
shoot  forty  times  without  stopping,  carrying  bul- 
lets half  an  hour's  distance ;  he  has  got  several 
guns  which  carry  bullets  that  burst  and  tear  a  man 
in  pieces.     He  could  go  to  the  top  of  that  moun- 


DELIVERANCE  FR  OM  DIFFICUL  TIES.  y  k 

tain  and  kill  every  man,  woman  and  child  in  the 
town  before  one  of  your  soldiers  could  reach  the 
top.  The  road  will  then  be  stopped,  Lyed  Bur- 
ghosh  will  march  against  your  country,  the  Wadoe 
and  Wakami  will  come  and  take  revenge  on  what 
is  left;  and  the  place  that  your  father  made  so 
strong  will  know  the  Waseguhha  no  more.  Set 
free  the  Musungu's  soldiers ;  give  them  their  food 
and  grain  for  the  Musungu  ;  return  the  guns  to 
the  men  and  let  them  go,  for  the  white  man  may 
even  now  be  on  his  way  here.' 

"The  exaggerated  report  of  my  power,  and  the 
dread  picture  sketched  by  the  Arab  sheikh,  pro- 
duced good  effect,  inasmuch  as  Kingaru  and  the 
Mabrukis  were  at  once  released  from  durance, 
furnished  with  food  sufficient  to  last  our  caravan 
four  days,  and  one  gun  with  its  accoutrements  and 
stock  of  bullets  and  powder,  was  returned,  as  well 
as  the  cook's  donkey,  with  a  pair  of  spectacles,  a 
book  in  Malabar  print  and  an  old  hat  which  be- 
longed to  one  whom  we  all  now  believed  to  be 
dead.  The  sheikh  took  charge  of  the  soldiers  as 
far  as  Simbo  ;  and  it  was  in  his  camp,  partaking 
largely  of  rice  and  ghee,  that  Shaw  found  them, 
and  the  same  bountiful  hospitality  was  extended 
to  him  and  his  companions.'' 

Stanley  was  now  filled  with  keen  regrets  for  the 
manner  in  which  he  had  punished  the  cook,  and 
mentally  he  resolved  that  no  matter  what  a  mem- 
ber of  his  caravan  should  do  in  the  future  he 


76 


m  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


would  never  drive  him  out  of  camp  to  perish  by 
assassins.  Still  he  would  not  yet  believe  that  the 
man  was  murdered.  But  he  was  furious  at  the 
treatment  of  his  soldiers  by  the  black  Amazon  of 
Limbamwanni,  and  the  tribute  she  exacted,  espe- 
cially at  the  seizure  of  the  guns,  and  if  he  had  been 
near  the  place  would  have  made  reprisals.  But 
he  had  already  lost  four  days,  and  so,  next  morn- 
ing, although  the  rain  was  coming  down  in  tor- 
rents, he  broke  camp  and  set  forth.  Shaw  was 
still  sick,  and  so  the  whole  duty  of  driving  the 
floundering  caravan  devolved  upon  himself.  As 
fast  as  one  was  flogged  out  of  the  mire  in  which 
he  had  stuck,  another  would  fall  in.  It  took  two 
hours  to  cross  the  miry  plain,  though  it  was  but  a 
mile  and  a  half  wide.  He  was  congratulating  him- 
self on  having  at  last  got  over  it,  when  he  was 
confronted  by  a  ditch  which  the  heavy  rains  had 
converted  into  a  stream  breast  deep.  The  don- 
keys had  all  to  be  unloaded,  and  led  through  the 
torrent,  and  loaded  again  on  the  farther  side. 
They  had  hardly  got  under  way  when  they  came 
upon  another  stream,  so  deep  that  it  could  not  be 
forded,  over  which  they  had  to  swim,  and  float 
across  their  baggage.  They  then  floundered  on 
until  they  came  to  a  bend  of  the  river,  where  they 
pitched  their  camp,  having  made  but  six  miles  the 
whole  day.  This  River  Makata  is  only  about 
forty  feet  in  width  in  the  dry  season,  but  at  this 
time  it  was  a  wide,  turbid  stream.     Its  shores,  with 


IN  A  PITIABLE  PLIGHT.  jj 

Its  matted  grass,  decayed  vegetable  matter  and 
reeking  mists,  seemed  the  very  home  of  the  ague 
and  fever.  It  took  five  hours  to  cross  it  the  next 
morning.  The  rain  then  carne  down  in  such  tor- 
rents that  travehng  became  impossible,  and  the 
camp  was  pitched.  Luckily  this  proved  the  last 
day  of  the  rainy  season. 

It  was  now  the  i  st  of  May,  and  the  expedition 
was  in  a  pitiable  plight.  Shaw  was  still  sick,  and 
one  man  was  down  with  the  small-pox.  Bombay, 
too,  was  sick,  and  others  complaining.  Doctoring 
the  sick  as  well  as  he  knew  how,  and  laying  the 
whip  lustily  on  the  backs  of  those  who  were  sham- 
ming, Stanley  at  length  got  his  caravan  in  motion 
and  began  to  cross  the  Makata  plain,  now  a  swamp 
thirty-five  miles  broad.  It  was  plash,  plash,  through 
the  water  in  some  places  three  or  four  feet  deep, 
for  two  days,  until  they  came  in  sight  of  the  Rudewa 
River.  Crossing  a  branch  of  this  stream,  a  sheet 
of  water  five  miles  broad  stretched  out  before  the 
tired  caravan.  The  men  declared  it  could  not  be 
crossed,  but  Stanley  determined  to  try,  and  after 
five  hours  of  the  most  prostrating  effort  they 
reached  dry  ground.  The  animals,  however,  be- 
gan to  sicken  from  this  day  on,  while  Stanley  him- 
self was  seized  with  dysentery  caused  by  hia  ex- 
posure, and  was  brought  to  the  verge  of  the 
grave.  The  expedition  seemed  about  to  end  there 
on  the  borders  of  the  Makata  swamp. 

On  the  4th,  they  came  to  the  important  village 


78 


JN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


of  Rehenneko,  the  first  near  which  they  had  en« 
camped  since  entering  the  district  of  Usagara. 
It  was  a  square,  compact  village,  of  about  one 
thousand  inhabitants,  surrounded  by  a  mud  wall 
and  composed  of  cane-topped  huts,  which  the 
natives  moved  from  place  to  place  at  pleasure 
The  peculiar  ceremonies  of  the  queen's  court  were 
very  interesting  to  witness.  They  rested  here 
four  days  to  recruit.  On  the  8th,  they  started  for- 
ward and  began  to  ascend  the  mountain.  Having 
reached  the  summit  of  the  first  range  of  hills, 
Stanley  paused  to  survey  the  enchanting  prospect. 
The  broad  valley  of  Makata  stretched  out  before 
him,  laced  with  streams  sparkling  in  the  sun,  while 
over  it  waved  countless  palm-trees,  and  far  away, 
blue  in  the  distance,  stretched  a  mighty  range  of 
mountains.  "Turning  our  faces  west,''  he  says, 
"we  found  ourselves  in  a  mountain  world,  fold 
rising  above  fold,  peak  behind  peak,  cone  jostling 
cone ;  away  to  the  north,  to  the  west,  to  the  south, 
the  mountain  tops  rolled  away  like  so  many  vitri- 
fied waves,  not  one  adust  or  arid  spot  was  visible 
in  all  this  scene." 

The  change  from  the  pestilential  swamps, 
through  which  they  had  been  so  long  floundering, 
was.most  grateful,  but  the  animals  suffered  greatly, 
and  before  they  reached  their  first  camping-ground, 
two  had  given  out.  The  gth,  they  descended  into 
the  valley  of  Mukondokno,  and  there  struck  the 
road  traversed  by  Speke   and  Burton   in   1817. 


TUM  Qt/EEN'S  ,C0Uk7: 


n 


CEREMONIES  OF  THE  QUEEN'S  COURT. 
As  witnessed  in  the  village  of  Rehenneko,  in  the  district  of  Usaganu 


NEW  BURDENS.  gj 

Reaching  the  dirty  village,  Kiora,  Stanley  found 
there  his  third  caravan,  led  by  Farquhar.  By  his 
debaucheries  on  the  way  he  had  made  himself  sick 
and  brought  his  caravan  into  a  sad  condition.  As 
he  heard  Stanley's  voice,  he  came  staggering  out 
of  his  tent,  a  bloated  mass  of  human  flesh  that 
never  would  have  been  recognized  as  the  trim 
mate  of  the  vessel  that  brought  Stanley  from  India, 
After  he  examined  him  as  to  the  cause  of  his  ill- 
ness, he  questioned  him  about  the  condition  of  the 
property  intrusted  to  his  care.  Not  able  to  get 
an  intelligent  answer  out  of  him,  he  resolved  to 
overhaul  the  baggage.  On  examination,  he  found 
that  he  had  spent  enough  for  provisions  on  which 
to  gormandize  to  have  lasted  eight  months,  and 
yet  he  had  been  on  the  route  but  two  and  a  half 
months.  If  Stanley  had  not  overtaken  him,  every- 
thing would  have  been  squandered,  and  of  all  the 
bales  of  cloth  he  was  to  take  to  Unyanyembe  not 
one  bale  would  have  been  left.  Stanley  was  sorely 
puzzled  what  to  do  with  the  miserable  man.  He 
would  die  if  left  at  Kiora ;  he  could  not  walk  or 
ride  far,  and  to  carry  him  seemed  well-nigh  im- 
possible. 

On  the  1 1  th,  however,  the  two  caravans  started 
forward,  leaving  Shaw  to  follow  with  one  of  the 
men.  But  he  lagged  behind,  and  had  not  reached 
the  camp  when  it  was  roused  next  morning.  Stan- 
ley at  once  dispatched  two  donkeys,  one  for  the 
load  that  was  on  the  cart  and  the  other  for  Shaw, 
6 


g2  IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

and  with  the  messenger  the  following  note:  "  You 
will,  upon  the  receipt  of  this  order,  pitch  the  cart 
into  the  nearest  ravine,  gully  or  river,  as  well  as  all 
the  extra  pack  saddles ;  and  come  at  07ice,  for 
Gods  sake,  for  we  must  not  starve  here!'  After 
waiting  four  hours,  he  went  back  himself  and  met 
them,  the  carrier  with  the  cart  on  his  head,  and 
Shaw  on  the  donkey,  apparently  ready,  at  the 
least  jolt,  to  tumble  off.  They,  however,  pushed 
on,  and  arrived  at  Madete  at  four  o'clock.  Cross- 
ing the  river  about  three,  and  keeping  on,  they,  on 
the  14th,  from  the  top  of  a  hill  caught  sight  of 
Lake  Ugenlo.  The  outline  of  It,  he  says,  resem- 
bles England  without  Wales.  It  Is  some  three 
miles  long  by  two  wide,  and  Is  the  abode  of  great 
numbers  of  hippopotami,  while  the  buffalo,  zebra, 
boar  and  antelope  come  here  by  night  to  quench 
their  thirst.  Its  bosom  Is  covered  with  wild  fowl 
of  every  description.  Being  obliged  to  halt  here 
two  days  on  account  of  the  desertion  of  the  cooper, 
with  one  of  the  carbines,  Stanley  explored  the 
lake,  and  tried  several  shots  at  the  lumbering  hip- 
popotami without  effect. 

The  deserter  having  returned  of  his  own  free 
will,  the  caravan  started  forward,  cursed  by  the 
slow  progress  of  the  peevish,  profane  and  violent 
Shaw.  The  next  day  at  breakfast,  a  scene  oc- 
curred that  threatened  serious  consequences. 
When  Shaw  and  Farquhar  took  their  places,  Stan- 
ley saw  by  their  looks  that  something  was  wrong. 


HIPPOPOTAMT. 


83 


INCIPIENT  MUTINY, 


85 


The  breakfast  was  a  roast  quarter  of  goat,  stewed 
liver,  some  sweet  potatoes,  pancakes  and  coffee. 
"Shaw,''  said  Stanley,  "please  carve  and  serve 
Farquhar."  Instead  of  doing  so,  he  exclaimed,  in 
an  insulting  tone,  '^What  dog's  meat  is  this?'' 
"What  do  you  mean ?"  demanded  Stanley.  "I 
mean,"  replied  the  fellow,  "that  it  is  a  downright 
shame  the  way  you  treat  us,"  and  then  he  com- 
plained  of  being  compelled  to  walk  and  help  him- 
self, instead  of  having  servants  to  wait  upon  him 
as  he  was  promised.  All  this  was  said  in  a  loud, 
defiant  tone,  interlarded  with  frequent  oaths  and 
curses  of  the  "damned  expedition,"  etc.  When 
he  had  got  through,  Stanley,  fixing  his  black,  reso- 
lute eye  on  him,  said:  "Listen  to  me,  Shaw,  and 
you,  Farquhar,  ever  since  you  left  the  coast  have 
had  donkeys  to  ride.  You  have  had  servants  to 
wait  upon  you;  your  tents  have  been  set  up  for 
you;  your  meals  have  been  cooked  for  you;  you 
have  eaten  with  me  of  the  same  food  I  have  eaten ; 
you  have  received  the  same  treatment  I  have  re- 
ceived. But  now  all  Farquhar's  donkeys  are 
dead;  seven  of  my  own  have  died,  and  I  have  had 
to  throw  away  a  few  things,  in  order  to  procure 
carriage  for  the  most  important  goods.  Farquhar 
is  too  sick  to  walk,  he  must  have  a  donkey  to 
ride;  in  a  few  days  all  our  animals  will  be  dead, 
after  which  I  must  have  over  twenty  more  pagosi 
to  take  up  the  goods  or  wait  weeks  and  weeks 
for  carriage.     Yet,  in  the  face  of  these  things, 


gg  IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 

you  can  grumble,  and  curse,  and  swear  at  me  at 
my  own  table.  Have  you  considered  well  your 
position?  Do  you  realize  where  you  are?  Do 
you  know  that  you  are  my  servant,  sir,  not  my 
companion  ?" 

"Servant,  be "  said  he. 

Just  before  Mr.  Shaw  could  finish  his  sentence 
he  had  measured  his  length  on  the  ground. 

"Is  it  necessary  for  me  to  proceed  further  to 
teach  you  ?''  said  Stanley. 

"I  tell  you  what  it  is,  sir,"  he  said,  raising  him- 
self up,  *'I  think  I  had  better  go  back.  I  have 
had  enough,  and  I  do  not  mean  to  go  any  farther 
with  you.     I  ask  my  discharge  from  you." 

"Oh,  certainly.  What — who  is  there?  Bom- 
bay, come  here." 

After  Bombay's  appearance  at  the  tent-door, 
Stanley  said  to  him:  "Strike  this  man's  tent," 
pointing  to  Shaw;  "he  wants  to  go  back.  Bring 
his  gun  and  pistol  here  to  my  tent,  and  take  this 
man  and  his  baggage  two  hundred  yards  outside 
of  the  camp,  and  there  leave  him." 

In  a  few  minutes  his  tent  was  down,  his  gun  and 
pistol  in  Stanley's  tent,  and  Bombay  returned  to 
make  his  report,  with  four  men  under  arms. 

**  Now  go,  sir.  You  are  at  perfect  liberty  to  go. 
These  men  will  escort  you  outside  of  camp,  and 
there  leave  you  and  your  baggage." 

He  walked  out,  the  men  escorting  him  and  car- 
rying his  baggage  for  him. 


FORGIVENESS. 


87 


After  breakfast,  Stanley  explained  to  Farquhar 
how  necessary  it  was  to  be  able  to  proceed ;  that 
he  had  had  plenty  of  trouble,  without  having  to 
think  of  men  who  were  employed  to  think  of  him 
and  their  duties;  that,  as  he  (Farquhar)  was  sick, 
and  would  be  probably  unable  to  march  for  a  time, 
it  would  be  better  to  leave  him  in  some  quiet  place, 
under  the  care  of  a  good  chief,  who  would,  for  a 
consideration,  look  after  him  until  he  got  well.  To 
all  of  which  Farquhar  agreed. 

Stanley  had  barely  finished  speaking  before 
Bombay  came  to  the  tent-door,  saying:  "Shaw 
would  like  to  speak  to  you.'' 

Stanley  went  out  to  the  door  of  the  camp,  and 
there  met  Shaw,  looking  extremely  penitent  and 
ashamed.  He  commenced  to  ask  pardon,  and 
began  imploring  to  be  taken  back,  and  promising 
that  occasion  to  find  fault  with  him  again  should 
never  arise. 

Stanley  held  out  his  hand,  saying :  *'  Don't 
mention  it,  my  dear  fellow.  Quarrels  occur  in  the 
best  of  families.  Since  you  apologize,  there  is  an 
end  of  it." 

That  night,  as  Stanley  was  about  falling  asleep, 
he  heard  a  shot,  and  a  bullet  tore  through  the  tent 
a  few  inches  above  his  body.  He  snatched  his 
revolver  and  rushed  out  from  the  tent,  and  asked 
the  men  around  the  watch-fires,  "Who  shot?" 
They  had  all  jumped  up,  rather  startled  by  the 
sudden  report. 


gg  IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

"Who  fired  that  gun  ?" 

One  said  the  "  Bana  Mdogo  " — little  master. 

Stanley  lit  a  candle  and  walked  with  it  to  Shaw's 
tent. 

"Shaw,  did  you  fire?'* 

There  was  no  answer.  He  seemed  to  be  asleep, 
he  was  breathing  so  hard. 

"  Shaw !  Shaw !  did  you  fire  that  shot  ?" 

"Eh — eh?"  said  he,  suddenly  awakening;  "me? 
• — me  fire  ?     I  have  been  asleep." 

Stanley's  eye  caught  sight  of  his  gun  lying  near 
him.  He  seized  it — felt  it — put  his  little  finger 
down  the  barrel.  The  gun  was  warm ;  his  finger 
was  black  from  the  burnt  gunpowder. 

''  What  is  this  ?"  he  asked,  holding  his  finger 
up ;  "  the  gun  is  warm ;  the  men  tell  me  you 
fired." 

"Ah— yes,"  he  replied,  "  I  remember  it.  I 
dreamed  I  saw  a  thief  pass  my  door,  and  I  fired. 
Ah — yes — I  forgot,  I  did  fire.  Why,  what's  the 
matter  ?" 

"Oh,  nothing,"  said  Stanley.  "But  I  would 
advise  you,  in  future,  in  order  to  avoid  all  sus- 
picion, not  to  fire  into  my  tent ;  or,  at  least,  so 
near  me.  I  might  get  hurt,  you  know,  in  which 
case  ugly  reports  would  get  about,  and  that,  per- 
haps, would  be  disagreeable,  as  you  are  probably 
aware.     Good-night." 

All  had  their  thoughts  about  this  matter,  but 
Stanley  never  uttered  a  word  about  it  to  any  one 


MURDEROUS  ATTEMPT. 


89 


until  he  met  Livingstone.  The  doctor  embodied 
his  suspicions  in  the  words :  "  He  intended  mur- 
der r 

Mr.  Livingstone  .was  evidently  right  in  his  con- 
jecture, and  Mr.  Stanley  wrong  about  the  intent 
of  Shaw.  In  the  first  place,  the  coincidence  in 
time  between  the  punishment  inflicted  on  Shaw 
and  this  extraordinary  shot,  in  which  the  ball  took 
the  still  more  extraordinary  direction  of  going 
through  Stanley's  tent,  that  is,  to  say  the  least, 
very  difficult  to  explain.  In  the  second  place,  his 
drowsy  condition  when  questioned,  and  finally 
remembering  so  much  as  that  he  dreamed  a  thief 
was  passing  his  door,  is  more  than  suspicious. 
The  fact  that,  as  Mr.  Stanley  says,  he  could  have  had 
much  better  opportunities  of  killing  him  than  this, 
we  regard  of  very  little  weight.  Opportunities 
that  are  absolutely  certain  of  success  without  sus- 
picion or  detection,  are  not  so  common  as  many 
suppose.  Besides,  an  opportunity  so  good  that 
the  would-be  murderer  could  desire  nothing  bet- 
ter might  occur,  and  yet  the  shot  or  stab  not  prove 
fatal.  In  this  case  it  doubtless  never  occurred  to 
this  man  that  any  one  would  run  his  finger  down 
his  gun-barrel  to  see  if  it  was  hot  from  a  recent 
discharge,  while  no  man  could  tell,  in  the  middle 
of  the  night,  who  fired  the  shot.  It  is  true,  that 
the  wretch  knew  that  the  chances  were  against 
such  a  random  fire  proving  fatal,  but  he  knew  it 
was  better  to   take  them  than   the  almost  cer- 


QQ  IN  THE   WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

tain  discovery  if  he  adopted  any  other  method. 
If,  for  instance,  he  had  in  a  lonely  place  fired  at 
Stanley  and  the  shot  had  not  proved  mortal,  or  if 
mortal,  not  immediately  so,  he  well  knew  what 
would  have  been  his  fate,  in  the  heart  of  Africa, 
where  justice  is  administered  without  the  form  of 
law. 

On  the  1 6th  of  May  the  little  caravan  started 
off  again,  and  after  a  march  of  fifteen  miles, 
camped  at  Matamombo,  in  a  region  where  monk- 
eys, rhinoceros,  steinboks  and  antelopes  abounded. 
The  next  day's  march  extended  fifteen  miles,  and 
was  through  an  almost  impenetrable  jungle.  Here 
he  came  upon  the  old  Arab  sheikh,  Thani,  who 
gave  him  the  following  good  advice :  ''  Stop  here 
two  or  three  days,  give  your  tired  animals  some 
rest,  and  collect  all  the  carriers  you  can ;  fill  your 
insides  with  fresh  milk,  sweet  potatoes,  beef,  mut- 
ton, ghee,  honey,  beans,  matama,  madeira  nuts, 
and  then,  Inshalla!  we  shall  go  through  Ugogo 
without  stopping  anywhere."  Stanley  was  sensi- 
ble enough  to  take  this  advice.  He  at  once  com- 
menced on  this  certainly  very  prodigal  bill  of  fare 
for  Central  Africa.  How  it  agreed  with  him  after 
the  short  trial  of  a  single  day,  may  be  inferred  from 
the  following  entry  in  his  diary  : 

"  Thank  God !  after  fifty-seven  days  of  living 
upon  matama  porridge  and  tough  goat,  I  have 
enjoyed  with  unctuous  satisfaction  a  real  breakfast 
and  a  good  dinner." 


A  MAN  LEFT  BEHIND.  gi 

Here  upon  the  Mpwapwa,  he  found  a  place  to 
leave  the  Scotchman,  Farquhar,  until  he  should  be 
strong  enough  to  join  him  at  Unyanyembe.  But 
when  he  proposed  this  to  the  friendly  chief,  he 
would  consent  only  on  the  condition  that  he  would 
leave  one  of  his  own  men  behind  to  take  care  of 
him.  This  complicated  matters,  not  only  because 
he  could  not  well  spare  a  man,  but  because  it 
would  be  difficult  to  find  one  who  would  consent 
to  undertake  this  difficult  task.  This  man,  whom 
Stanley  had  thought  would  be  a  reliable  friend 
and  a  good  companion  in  his  long,  desolate 
marches,  had  turned  out  a  burden  and  a  nuisance. 
His  wants  were  almost  endless,  and  instead  of 
using  the  few  words  in  the  language  of  the  natives 
to  make  them  known,  he  would  use  nothing  but 
the  strongest  Anglo-Saxon,  and  when  he  found 
he  was  not  understood,  would  fall  to  cursing  in 
equally  good  round  English  oaths,  and  if  the 
astonished  natives  did  not  understand  this,  relapse 
into  regular  John  Bull  sullenness.  When,  there- 
fore, Stanley  opened  up  the  subject  to  Bombay, 
the  latter  was  horrified.  He  said  the  men  had 
made  a  contract  to  go  through,  not  to  stop  by  the 
way;  and  when  Stanley,  in  despair,  turned  to  the 
men,  they  one  and  all  refused  absolutely  to  remain 
behind  with  the  cursing,  unreasonable  white  man, 
one  of  them  mimicking  his  absurd  conduct  so  com- 
pletely, that  Stanley  himself  could  not  help  laugh- 
ing.    But  the  man  must  be  left  behind,  and  some- 


02  -W"  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 

body  must  take  care  of  him ;  and  so  Stanley  had 
to  use  his  authority,  and  notwithstanding  all  his 
protestations  and  entreaties,  Sako,  the  only  one 
who  could  speak  English,  was  ordered  to  stay. 

Having  engaged  twelve  new  carriers,  and  from 
the  nearest  mountain  summit  obtained  an  entranc- 
ing view  of  the  surrounding  region  for  a  hundred 
miles,  he  prepared  to  start,  but  not  before,  not- 
withstanding the  good  milk  it  furnished,  giving 
Mpwapwa  a  thorough  malediction  for  its  earwigs. 
'*In  my  tent,''  he  says,  "they  might  be  counted  by 
thousands;  in  my  slung  cot  by  hundreds;  on  my 
clothes  they  were  by  fifties ;  on  my  neck  and  head 
they  were  by  scores.  The  several  plagues  of 
locusts,  fleas  and  lice  sink  into  utter  insignificance 
compared  with  this  damnable  one  of  earwigs.'' 
Their  presence  drove  him  almost  insane.  Next 
to  these  come  the  white  ants,  that  threatened  in  a 
short  time  to  eat  up  every  article  of  baggage. 

He  now  pushed  on  toward  the  Ugogo  district, 
famous  for  the  tribute  it  exacted  from  all  caravans. 


CHAPTER  V. 

TRIALS    BY    THE    WAY. 

ON  the  2 2d  of  May  the  two  other  caravans 
of  Stanley  joined  him,  only  three  hours' 
march  from  Mpwapwa,  so  that  the  one 
<:aravan  numbered  some  four  hundred  souls,  but  it 
was  none  too  large  to  insure  a  safe  transit  through 
dreaded  Ugogo.  A  waterless  desert  thirty  miles 
across,  and  which  it  would  take  seventeen  hours 
to  traverse,  now  lay  before  them.  On  the  way, 
Stanley  was  struck  down  with  fever  and,  borne 
along  in  a  hammock,  was  indifferent  to  the  herds 
of  giraffes,  and  zebras,  and  antelopes  that  scoured 
the  desert  plain  around  him.  The  next  morning 
the  fever  had  left  him  and  mounting,  he  rode  at 
the  head  of  his  caravan,  and  at  8  a.  m.  had  passed 
the  sterile  wilderness  and  entered  the  Ugogo  dis- 
trict. He  had  now  come  into  a  land  of  plenty,  but 
one  also  of  extortion.  The  tribute  that  all  passing 
caravans  had  to  pay  to  the  chiefs  or  sultans  of 
this  district  was  enormous.  At  the  first  village 
the  appearance  of  this  white  man  caused  an  inde- 
scribable uproar.  The  people  came  pouring  out, 
men  and  women,  naked,  yelling,  shouting,  quarrel- 
ing and  fighting,  making  it  a  perfect  babel  around 
Stanley,  who  became  irritated  at  this   unseemly 

(93) 


94 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


demonstration.  But  it  was  of  no  use.  One  of 
his  men  asked  them  to  stop,  but  the  only  reply 
was  ^^shut  up','  in  good  native  language.  Stanley, 
however,  was  soon  oblivious  of  their  curiosity  or 
noise,  as  heavy  doses  of  quinine  to  check  a  chill 
sent  him  off  into  a  half  doze. 

The  next  day,  a  march  of  eight  miles  brought 
him  to  the  sultan  of  the  district.  Report  did  not 
exaggerate  the  abundance  of  provisions  to  be 
found  here.  Now  came  the  pay  of  tribute  to  the 
exorbitant  chief.  After  a  great  deal  of  parley, 
which  was  irritating  and  often  childish,  Stanley 
satisfied  the  sultan's  greed,  and  on  the  27th  of 
May  he  shook  the  dust  of  the  place  from  his  feet 
and  pushed  westward.  As  he  passed  the  thickly- 
scattered  villages  and  plenteous  fields,  filled  with 
tillers,  he  did  not  wonder  at  the  haughty  bearing 
of  the  sultan,  for  he  could  command  force  enough 
to  rob  and  destroy  every  caravan  that  passed  that 
way.  Twenty-seven  villages  lined  the  road  to  the 
next  sultan's  district,  Matomhiru.  This  sultan 
was  a  modern  Hercules,  with  head  and  shoulders 
that  belonged  to  a  giant.  He  proved,  however, 
to  be  a  much  more  reasonable  man  than  the  last 
sultan,  and,  after  a  little  speechifying,  the  tribute 
was  paid  and  the  caravan  moved  off  toward  Biha- 
wena.  The  day  was  hot,  the  land  sterile,  crossed 
with  many  jungles,  which  made  the  march  slow 
and  difficult.  In  the  midst  of  this  desolate  plain 
were  the  villages  of  the  tribe,  their  huts  no  higher 

I 


DOWN  WITH  FEVER. 


95 


than  the  dry,  bleached  grass  that  stood  glimmer- 
ing in  the  heat  of  the  noonday  sun.  Here  he 
was  visited  by  three  natives,  who  endeavored  to 
play  a  sharp  game  on  him,  which  so  enraged  Stan- 
ley that  he  would  have  flogged  them  out  of  camp 
with  his  whip,  but  one  of  his  men  told  him  to  be- 
ware, for  every  blow  would  cost  three  or  four 
yards  of  cloth.  Not  willing  to  pay  so  dearly  to 
gratify  his  temper  he  forbore.  The  sultan  was 
moderate  in  his  demands,  and  from  him  he  re- 
ceived news  from  his  fourth  caravan,  which  was 
in  advance,  and  had  had  a  fight  with  some  rob- 
bers, killing  two  of  them. 

The  water  here  was  so  vile  that  two  donkeys 
died  from  drinking  of  it,  while  the  men  could 
hardly  swallow  it.  Stanley,  nervous  and  weak 
from  fever,  paid  the  extravagant  tributes  de- 
manded of  him,  without  altercation.  From  here 
to  the  next  sultan  was  a  long  stretch  of  forest, 
filled  with  elephants,  rhinoceros,  zebras,  deer,  etc. 
But  they  had  no  time  to  stop  and  hunt.  At  noon 
they  had  left  the  last  water  they  should  find  until 
noon  of  the  next  day,  even  with  sharp  marching, 
and  hence,  no  delay  could  be  permitted.  The 
men  without  tents  bivouacked  under  the  trees, 
while  Stanley  tossed  and  groaned  all  night  in  a 
paroxysm  of  fever,  but  his  courage  in  no  way 
weakened.  At  dawn  the  caravan  started  off 
throupfh  the  dark  forest,  in  which  one  of  the  car- 
riers  fell  sick  and  died. 


96 


m  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


At  7  A.  M.  they  drew  near  Nyambwa,  where  ex- 
cellent water  was  found.  The  villagers  here 
crowded  around  them  with  shouts  and  yells,  and 
finally  became  so  insolent  that  Stanley  grabbed 
one  of  them  by  the  neck  and  gave  him  a  sound 
thrashing  with  his  donkey-whip.  This  enraged 
them,  and  they  walked  backward  and  forward  like 
angry  tom-cats,  shouting,  "Are  the  Wagogo  to  be 
beaten  like  slaves?''  and  they  seemed  by  their 
ferocious  manner  determined  to  avenge  their  com- 
rade, but  the  moment  Stanley  raised  his  whip  and 
advanced  they  scattered.  Finding  that  the  long 
lash,  which  cracked  like  a  pistol,  had  a  wholesome 
effect,  whenever  they  crowded  upon  him  so  as  to 
impede  his  progress,  he  laid  it  about  him  without 
mercy,  which  soon  cleared  a  path. 

The  Sultan  Kimberah  was  a  small,  queer  and 
dirty  old  man,  a  great  drunkard,  and  yet  the  most 
powerful  of  all  the  Ugogo  chiefs.  Here  they  had 
considerable  trouble  in  arranging  the  amount  of 
tribute,  but  at  length  everything  was  settled  and 
the  caravan  passed  on  and  entered  on  a  vast  salt 
plain  containing  a  hundred  or  more  square  miles, 
from  the  salt  springs  of  which  the  Wagogo  ob- 
tained their  salt.  At  Mizarza,  the  next  camping- 
place,  Stanley  was  compelled  to  halt  and  doctor 
himself  for  the  fever  which  was  wearing  him  to 
skin  and  bones.  Early  in  the  morning  he  began 
to  take  his  quinine,  and  kept  repeating  the  doses 
at  short  intervals  until  a  copious  perspiration  told 


STRANGE  TRIBES,  ny 

him  he  had  broken  the  fever  which  had  been  con- 
suming him  for  fourteen  days.  During  this  time, 
the  sultan  of  the  district,  attracted  by  Stanley's 
lofty  tent,  with  the  American  flag  floating  above 
It,  visited  him.  He  was  so  astonished  at  the  lofti- 
ness and  furnishing  of  the  tent,  that  in  his  sur- 
prise he  let  fall  the  loose  cloth  that  hung  from  his 
shoulders  and  stood  stark  naked  in  front  of  Stan- 
ley, gapmg  in  mute  wonder.  Admonished  by  his 
son — a  lad  fifteen  years  old — he  resumed  his 
garb  and  sat  down  to  talk.  Stanley  showed  him 
his  rifles  and  other  fire-arms,  which  astonished 
him  beyond  measure. 

On  the  4th  of  June,  the  caravan  was  started 
forward  again,  and  after  three  hours'  march  it 
came  upon  another  district,  containing  only  two 
villages  occupied  by  pastoral  Wahumba  and  Wa- 
hehe.  These  live  in  cow-dung  cone  huts,  shaped 
like  Tartar  tents.     Stanley  says : 

"  The  Wahumba,  so  far  as  I  have  seen  them,  are 
a  fine  and  well-formed  race.  The  men  are  posi- 
tively handsome,  tall,  with  small  heads,  the  pos- 
terior parts  of  which  project  considerably.  One 
will  look  in  vain  for  a  thick  lip  or  flat  nose  amongst 
them ;  on  the  contrary,  the  mouth  is  exceedingly 
well  cut,  delicately  small ;  the  nose  is  that  of  the 
Greeks,  and  so  universal  was  the  peculiar  feature, 
that  I  at  once  named  them  the  Greeks  of  Africa. 
Their  lower  limbs  have  not  the  heaviness  of  the 
Wagogo  and  other  tribes,  but  are  long  and 
7 


98 


IN  THE   WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


shapely,  clean  as  those  of  an  antelope.  Theif 
necks  are  long  and  slender,  on  which  their  small 
heads  are  poised  most  gracefully.  Athletes  from 
their  youth,  shepherd  bred,  and  intermarrying 
among  themselves,  thus  keeping  the  race  pure, 
any  of  them  would  form  a  fit  subject  for  a  sculptor 
who  would  wish  to  immortalize  in  marble  an  An- 
trinus,  a  Hylas,  a  Daphnis,  or  an  Apollo.  The 
women  are  as  beautiful  as  the  men  are  handsome. 
They  have  clear  ebon  skins,  not  coal  black,  but 
of  an  inky  hue.  Their  ornaments  consist  of  spiral 
rings  of  brass  pendent  from  the  ears,  brass  ring 
collars  about  the  neck,  and  a  spiral  cincture  of 
brass  wire  about  their  loins,  for  the  purpose  of 
retaining  their  calf  and  goat  skins,  which  are 
folded  about  their  bodies,  and  depending  from  the 
shoulder,  shade*  one-half  of  the  bosom,  and  fall  to 
the  knees. 

"  The  Wahehe  may  be  styled  the  Romans  of 
Africa. 

"Resuminof  our  march,  after  a  halt  of  an  hour, 
in  four  hours  more  we  arrived  at  Mukondoku 
proper. 

"This  extremity  of  Ugogo  is  most  populous. 
The  villacres  which  surround  the  central  tembe^ 
where  the  Sultan  Swaruru  lives,  amount  to  thirty- 
six.  The  people  who  flocked  from  these  to  see 
the  wonderful  men  whose  faces  were  white  who 
wore  the  most  wonderful  things  on  their  persons, 
and  possessed  the  most  wonderful  weapons  •  guns 


A  COWARDLY  MOB,  gg 

which  *  bum-bummed'  as  fast  as  you  could  count 
on  your  fingers,  formed   such  a  mob  of  howling 
savages,  that  I,  for  an  instant,  thought  there  was 
something  besides    mere   curiosity  which  caused 
such  a  commotion,  and  attracted  such  numbers  to 
the    roadside.     Halting,  I    asked   what   was    the 
matter,  and  what  they  wanted,  and  why  they  made 
such  a  noise  ?     One  burly  rascal,  taking  my  words 
for  a  declaration  of  hostilities,  promptly  drew  his 
bow,  but  as  prompt  as  he  had  fixed  his  arrow  my 
faithful    Winchester   with    thirteen    shots   in    the^ 
magazine  was  ready  and  at  my  shoulder,  and  but 
waited  to  see  the  arrow  fly  to  pour  the  leaden 
messengers  of  death  into  the    crowd.     But  the 
crowd    vanished    as   quickly  as   they  had    come, 
leaving    the    burly  Thersites,  and  two   or   three 
irresolute    fellows    of  his    tribe,   standing   within 
pistol  range  of  my  leveled  rifle.     Such  a  sudden 
dispersion   of  the  mob  which,  but  a  moment  be- 
fore, was  overwhelming,  caused  me  to  lower  my 
rifle  and  indulge  in  a  hearty  laugh  at  the  disgrace- 
ful flight  of  the  men-destroyers.     The  Arabs,  who 
were  as  much  alarmed  at  their  boisterous  obtru- 
siveness,  now  came  up  to  patch  a  truce,  in  which 
they  succeeded  to  everybody's  satisfaction. 

"A  few  words  of  explanation,  and  the  mob  came 
back  in  greater  numbers  than  before;  and  the 
Thersites  who  had  been  the  cause  of  the  momen- 
tary disturbance  were  obliged  to  retire  abashed 
before  the  pressure  of  public  opinion.     A  chief 


lOO 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


now  came  up,  whom  I  afterwards  learned  was  the 
second  man  to  Swaruru,  and  lectured  the  people 
upon  their  treatment  of  the  'white  strangers/" 

The  tribute-money  was  easily  settled  here.  On 
the  7th  of  June,  the  route  was  resumed.  There 
were  three  roads  leading  to  Uyanzi,  and  which  of 
the  three  to  take  caused  long  discussion  and  much 
quarreling,  and  when  Stanley  settled  the  matter 
and  the  caravan  started  off  on  the  road  to  Kiti, 
an  attempt  was  made  to  direct  it  to  another  road, 
which  Stanley  soon  discovered  and  prevented  only 
by  his  prompt  resort  to  physical  arguments. 

At  last  they  reached  the  borders  of  Uyanzi,  glad 
to  be  clear  of  the  land  of  Ugogo,  said  to  be  flowing 
with  milk  and  honey  but  which  had  proved  to 
Stanley  a  land  of  gall  and  bitterness.  The  forest 
they  entered  was  a  welcome  change  from  the  vil- 
lages of  the  Ugogo,  and  two  hours  after  leaving 
them  they  came,  with  the  merry  sound  of  horns,  to 
a  river  in  a  new  district.  Continuing  on,  they 
made  the  forest  ring  with  cheers,  and  shouts,  and 
native  songs.  The  country  was  beautiful,  and  the 
scenery  more  like  cultivated  England  in  former 
times  than  barbaric  Africa. 

Passing  thus  merrily  on,  they  had  made  twenty 
miles  by  five  o'clock.  At  one  o'clock  next  morn- 
ing the  camp  was  roused,  and  by  the  light  of  the 
moon  the  march  was  resumed,  and  at  three  o'clock 
they  arrived  at  a  village  to  rest  till  dawn.  They 
had  reached  a  land  of  plenty  and  fared  well.     Kiti 


THE  CO  UNTR  Y  DESCRIBE! '.  j  q  j  • 

was  entered  on  the  loth  of  June.     Kere  "cattle 
and  grain  could  be  procured  in  abundance. 

A  valley  fifteen  miles  distant  was  the  next  camp, 
and  a  march  of  three  hours  and  a  half  brought 
them  to  another  village,  wh^re  provisions  were 
very  cheap.  They  were  now  approaching  Unyan- 
yembe,  their  first  great  stopping-place,  and  where 
the  term  of  service  of  many  of  Stanley's  men 
expired.  They  marched  rapidly  now, — to-day 
through  grain-fields,  to-morrow  past  burnt  villages, 
the  wreck  of  bloody  wars. 

At  last,  with  banners  flying  and  trumpets  and 
horns  blowing,  and  amid  volleys  of  small  arms,  the 
caravan  entered  Unyanyembe. 

Of  the  three  routes  from  the  coast  to  this  place, 
Stanley  discarded  the  two  that  had  before  been 
traveled  by  Speke  and  Burton  and  Grant  and 
chose  the  third,  with  the  originality  of  an  Ameri- 
can, and  thus  saved  nearly  two  hundred  miles' 
travel. 

Mr.  Stanley,  after  reaching  this  first  great 
objective  point,  goes  back  and  gives  a  general 
description  of  the  regions  he  has  traversed.  To 
the  geographer,  it  may  be  of  interest,  but  not  to 
the  general  reader.  But  the  following,  taken 
from  his  long  account,  will  give  the  reader  a  clear 
idea  of  the  country  traversed  and  of  Its  inhabitants. 
Beginning  with  Wlami  River,  emptying  into  the 
Indian  Ocean  near  Zanzibar,  he  says: 

"First  it  appears  to  me  that  the  Wiami  River  is 


1-02  '^'^  ^^^   WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

available  for  commerce  and,  by  a  little  improve- 
ment, could  be  navigated  by  light-draft  steamers 
near  to  the  Usagara  Mountains,  the  healthy  region 
of  this  part  of  Africa,  and  which  could  be  reached 
by  steamers  in  four  days  from  the  coast,  and  then 
It  takes  one  into  a  country  where  ivory,  sugar, 
cotton,  indigo  and  other  productions  can  be  ob- 
tained/' 

Besides,  he  says : 

"Four  days, by  steamer  bring  the  missionary  to 
the  healthy  ii^lands  of  Africa,  where  he  can  live 
amongst  the  gentle  Wasagara  without  fear  or 
alarm  ;  where  he  can  enjoy  the  luxuries  of  civilized 
life  without  fear  of  being  deprived  of  them,  amid 
the  most  beautiful  and  picturesque  scenes  a  poetic 
fancy  could  imagine.  Here  is  the  greenest  ver- 
dure, purest  water ;  here  are  valleys  teeming  with 
grain-stalks,  forests  of  tamarind,  mimosa,  gum- 
copal  tree ;  here  is  the  gigantic  moule,  the  stately 
mparamnsi,  the  beautiful  palm ;  a  scene  such  as 
only  a  tropic  sky  covers.  Health  and  abundance 
of  food  are  assured  to  the  missionary ;  gentle 
people  are  at  his  feet,  ready  to  welcome  him. 
Except  civilized  society,  nothing  that  the  soul  of 
man  can  desire  is  lacking  here. 

"From  the  village  of  Kadetamare  a  score  of 
admirable  mission    sites    are  available,  with  fine' 
health-giving  breezes  blowing  over  them,  water  in 
abundance    at    their    feet,    fertility   unsurpassed 
around  them,  with  docile,  good-tempered  people 


WHAT  AFRICA  MAY  BE.  jq^ 

dwelling  everywhere  at  peace  with  each  other,  and 
with  all  travelers  and  neighbors. 

"  As  the  passes  of  the  Olympus  unlocked  the 
gates  of  the  Eastern  empires  to  the  hordes  of 
Othman ;  as  the  passes  of  Kumayle  and  Sura 
admitted  the  British  into  Abyssinia  ;  so  the  passes 
of  the  Mukondokwa  may  admit  the  Gospel  and 
its  beneficent  influences  into  the  heart  of  savage 
Africa. 

''I  can  fancy  old  Kadetamare  rubbing  his  hands 
with  glee  at  the  sight  of  the  white  man  coming  to 
teach  his  people  the  words  of  the  *Mulungu' — 
the  Sky  Spirit;  how  to  sow,  and  reap,  and  build 
houses ;  how  to  cure  their  sick,  how  to  make 
themselves  comfortable— in  short,  how  to  be  civil- 
ized. But  the  missionary,  to  be  successful,  must 
know  his  duties  as  well  as  a  thorough  sailor  must 
know  how  to  reef,  hand  and  steer.  He  must  be 
no  kid-glove,  effeminate  man,  no  journal  writer,  no 
disputatious  polemic,  no  silken  stole  and  chasuble- 
loving  priest,  but  a  thorough,  earnest  laborer  in 
the  garden  of  the  Lord, — a  man  of  the  David  Liv- 
ingstone, or  of  the  Rooert  Moffatt  stamp. 

''The  other  river,  the  Rufiji,  or  Ruhwha,  is  a 
still  more  important  stream  than  Wiami.  It  is  a 
much  longer  river,  and  discharges  twice  as  much 
water  Into  the  Indian  Ocean.  It  rises  near  some 
mountains  about  one  hundred  miles  southwest 
of  Nbena.  Kislgo  River,  the  most  northern  and 
most  important  affluent  of  the  Ruhwha,  is  sup* 


I04  ^^  ^^^^  WILDS  CF  AFRICA. 

posed  to  flow  into  It  near  east  longitude  thirty- 
five  degrees ;  from  the  confluence  to  the  sea,  the 
Ruhwha  has  a  length  of  four  degrees  of  direct 
longitude.  This  fact,  of  itself,  must  prove  its 
importance  and  rank  among  the  rivers  of  East 
Africa. 

*' After  Zanzibar,  our  debut  into  Africa  is  made 
via  Bagomayo.  At  this  place  we  may  see  Wan- 
glndo,  Wasawahili,  Warori,  Wagogo,  Wanyam- 
wezi,  Waseguhha  and  Wasagara ;  yet  it  would  be 
a  difficult  task  for  any  person,  at  mere  sight  of 
their  dresses  or  features,  to  note  the  differences. 
Only  by  certain  customs  or  distinctive  marks, 
such  as  tattooing,  puncturing  of  the  lobes  of  the 
ears,  ornaments,  wearing  the  hair,  etc.,  which 
would  appear,  at  first,  too  trivial  to  note,  could  one 
discriminate  between  the  various  tribal  represen- 
tatives. There  are  certainly  dlflferences,  but  not 
so  varied  or  marked  as  they  are  reported. 

"The  Wasawahili,  of  course,  through  their  in- 
tercourse with  semi-civilization,  present  us  with  a 
race,  or  tribe,  influenced  by  a  state  of  semi-civil- 
ized society,  and  are,  consequently,  better  dressed 
and  appear  to  better  advantage  than  their  more 
savaofe  brethren  farther  west.  As  it  is  said  that 
underneath  the  Russian  skin  lies  the  Tartar,  so  it 
may  be  said  that  underneath  the  snowy  dish- 
dasheh,  or  shirt  of  the  Wasawahili,  one  will  find 
the  true  barbarian.  In  the  street  or  bazaar  he 
appears   semi-Arabized ;  his  suavity  of  manner, 


TRIBES  OF  AFRICA,  jqc 

his  prostrations  and  genuflexions,  the  patois  he 
speaks,  all  prove  his  contact  and  affinity  with  the 
dominant  race,  Avhose  subject  he  is.  Once  out  of 
the  coast  towns,  in  the  Washensi  villages,  he  sheds 
the  shirt  that  had  half  civilized  him,  and  appears 
in  all  his  deep  blackness  of  skin,  prognathous 
jaws,  thick  lips — the  pure  negro  and  barbarian. 
Not  keenest  eye  could  detect  the  difference  be- 
tween him  and  the  Washensi,  unless  his  attention 
had  been  drawn  to  the  fact  that  the  two  men  were 
of  different  tribes. 

"The  next  tribe  to  which  we  are  introduced  are 
the  Wakwere,  who  occupy  a  limited  extent  of 
country  between  the  Wazaramo  and  the  Wadoe. 
They  are  the  first  representatives  of  the  pure 
barbarian  the  traveler  meets,  when  but  two  days' 
journey  from  the  sea-coast.  They  are  a  timid 
tribe  and  a  very  unlikely  people  to  commence  an 
attack  upon  any  body  of  men  for  mere  plunder's 
sake.  They  have  not  a  very  good  reputation 
among  the  Arab  and  Wasawahili  traders.  They 
are  said  to  be  exceedingly  dishonest,  of  which  I 
have  not  the  least  doubt.  They  furnished  me 
with  good  grounds  for  beliving  these  reports 
while  encamped  at  Kingaru^  Hera  and  Imbiki. 
The  chiefs  of  the  more  eastern"  part  of  Ukwere 
profess  nominal  allegiance  to  the  Dwians  of  the 
Mrima.  They  have  selected  the  densest  jungles 
wherein  to  establish  their  villages.  Every  en- 
trance into  one  of  their  valleys  is  jealously  guarded 


I06  ^^  ^^^   WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

by  strong  wooden  gates,  seldom  over  four  and  a 
half  feet  high,  and  so  narrow,  sometimes,  that  one 
must  enter  sideways. 

"These  jungle  islets  which  in  particular  dot  the 
extent  of  Ukwere,  present  formidable  obstacles 
to  a  naked  enemy.  The  plants,  bushes  and  young 
trees  which  form  their  natural  defense,  are  gen- 
erally of  the  aloetic  and  thorny  species,  growing 
so  dense,  interlaced  one  with  the  other,  that  the 
hardest  and  most  desperate  robber  would  not 
brave  the  formidable  array  of  sharp  thorns  which 
bristle  everywhere. 

"Some  of  these  jungle  islets  are  infested  with 
gangs  of  banditti,  who  seldom  fail  to  take  advan- 
tage of  the  weakness  of  a  single  wayfarer,  more 
especially  if  he  be  a  Mgwana — a  freeman  of  Zan- 
zibar, as  every  negro  resident  of  the  island  of 
Zanzibar  is  distinguished  by  the  Washensi  natives 
of  the  interior. 

'T  should  estimate  the  population  of  Ukwere, 
allowing  about  one  hundred  villages  to  this  terri- 
tory (which  is  not  more  than  thirty  miles  square, 
its  bounds  on  the  south  being  the  Rufu  River, 
and  on  the  north  the  River  Wiami),at  not  more 
than  five  thousand  souls.  Were  all  these  banded 
together  under  the  command  of  one  chief,  the 
Wakwere  might  become  a  powerful  tribe. 

"After  the  Wakwere  we  come  to  the  Wakami, 
a  remnant  of  the  once  grand  nation  which  oc- 
cupied the  lands  from  the  Ungerengeri  to  the 


TRIBES  OF  AFRICA.  jqj 

Great  Makata  River.  Frequent  wars  with  the 
Wadoe  and  Waseguhha  have  reduced  them  to  a 
narrow  belt  of  country,  ten  rectihnear  miles  across, 
which  may  be  said  to  be  comprised  between  Kiva 
Peak  and  the  stony  ridge  bounding  the  valley  of 
the  Ungerengeri  on  the  east,  within  a  couple  of 
miles  from  the  east  bank  of  the  river. 

''They  are  as  numerous  as  bees  in  the  Unger- 
engeri Valley.  The  unsurpassed  fertility  has  been 
a  great  inducement  to  retain  for  these  people  the 
distinction  of  a  tribe.  By  the  means  of  a  spy- 
glass one  may  see,  as  he  stands  on  the  top  of  that 
stony  ridge  looking  down  into  the  fair  valley,  clus- 
ters of  brown  huts  visible  amid  bosky  clumps, 
fullness  and  plenty  all  over  the  valley,  and  may 
count  easily  over  a  hundred  villages. 

"From  Ukami,  we  pass  Southern  Udoe,  and  find 
a  warlike,  fine-looking  people,  jvith  a  far  more 
intelligent  cast  of  features,  and  a  shade  lighter 
than  the  Wakami  and  Wakwere — a  people  who 
are  full  of  traditions  of  race,  a  people  who  have 
boldly  rushed  to  war  upon  the  slightest  encroach- 
ment upon  their  territories,  and  who  have  bravely 
defended  themselves  against  the  Waseguhha  and 
Wakami,  as  well  as  against  nomadic  marauders 
from  Uhumba. 

"U'doe,  in  appearance,  is  amongst  the  most  pic- 
turesque countries  between  the  sea  and  Nyan- 
yembe.  Great  cones  shoot  upward  above  the 
everlasting  forest,  tipped  by  the  light,  fleecy  clouds. 


jo8  ^^  ^^-^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

through  Avhich  the  warm,  glowing  sun  darts  its 
rays,  bathing  the  whole  in  sunlight,  which  brings 
out  those  globes  of  foliage,  which  rise  in  tier  after 
tier  to  the  summits  of  the  hills,  colors  which  would 
mock  the  most  ambitious  painter's  efforts  at  imi- 
tation. Udoe  first  evokes  the  traveler's  love  of 
natural  beauty  after  leaving  the  sea,  her  roads 
lead  him  up  along  the  sharp  spines  of  hilly  ridges, 
whence  he  may  look  down  upon  the  forest-clad 
slopes,  declining  on  either  side  of  him  into  the 
depths  of  deep  valleys,  to  rise  up  beyond  into 
aspiring  cones  which  kiss  the  sky,  or  into  a  high 
ridge  with  deep,  concentric  folds,  v/hich  almost 
tempt  one  to  undergo  much  labor  in  exploring 
them  for  the  provoking  air  of  mystery  in  which 
they  seem  to  be  enwrapped. 

"What  a  tale  this  tribe  could  relate  of  the  slave- 
trader's  deeds.  .Attacked  by  the  joint  forces  of 
the  Waseguhha  from  the  west  and  north,  and  the 
slave-traders  of  Whinde  and  Sa'adani  from  the 
east,  the  Wadoe  have  seen  their  wives  and  little 
ones  carried  into  slavery  a  hundred  times,  and 
district  after  district  taken  from  their  country,  and 
attached  to  Useguhha.  For  the  people  of  Use- 
guhha  were  hired  to  attack  their  neighbors,  the 
Wadoe,  by  the  Whinde  slaye-traders,  and  were 
also  armed  with  muskets  and  supplied  with  ammu- 
nition by  them,  to  effect  large  and  repeated  cap- 
tures of  Wadoe  slaves.  The  people  of  this  tribe, 
especially   women   and   children,  so   superior  in 


MARKS  AND  WEAPONS. 


109 


physique  and  intelligence  to  the  servile  races  by 
which  they  were  surrounded,  were  eagerly  sought 
for  as  concubines  and  domestics  by  the  lustful 
Mohammedans. 

"This  tribe  we  first  note  to  have  distinctive 
tribal  marks — by  a  line  of  punctures  extending 
lengthwise  on  each  side  of  the  face,  and  a  chipping 
of  the  two  inner  sides  of  the  two  middle  teeth  of 
the  upper  row. 

*^The  arms  of  this  tribe  are  similar  to  the  arms 
of  the  Wakami  and  Wakwere,  and  consist  of  a 
bow  and  arrows,  a  shield,  a  couple  of  light  spears 
or  assegais,  a  long  knife,  a  handy  little  battle-axe 
and  a  club  with  a  large  knob  at  the  end  of  it,  which 
latter  is  dexterously  swung  at  the  head  of  an 
enemy,  inflicting  a  stunning  and  sometimes  a  fatal 
blow. 

"Emerging  from  the  forest  of  Mikeseh,  we  enter 
the  territory  of  the  Waseguhha,  or  Wasegura,  as 
the  Arabs  wrongly  call  this  country.  Useguhha 
extends  over  two  degrees  in  length,  and  its  great- 
est breadth  is  ninety  geographical  miles.  It  has 
two  main  divisions,  that  of  Southern  Useguhha, 
from  Uruguini  to  the  Wiami  River,  and  Northern 
Useguhha,  under  the  chieftain  Moto,  from  the 
Wiami  River  to  Umagassi  and  Usumbara. 

"Mostly  all  the  Waseguhha  warriors  are  armed 
with  muskets,  and  the  Arabs  supply  them  with 
enough  ammunition,  in  return  for  which  they  attack 
Waruguru,  Wadoe  and  Wakwenrii,  to  obtain  slaves 


no  ^^  ^^-^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 

for  the  Arab  market,  and  it  is  but  five  years  since 
the  Waseguhha  organized  a  successful  raid  into 
the  very  heart  of  the  Wasagara  Mountains,  during 
which  they  desolated  the  populated  part  of  the 
Makata  plain,  capturing  over  five  hundred  valu- 
able slaves. 

Formerly  wars  in  this  country  were  caused  by 
blood  feuds  between  different  chiefs;  they  are  now 
encouraged  by  the  'slave  buyers  of  the  Mirma,  for 
the  purpose  of  supplying  these  human  chattels  for 
the  market  of  Zanzibar.  The  Waseguhha  are 
about  the  most  thorough  believers  in  witchcraft, 
yet  the  professors  of  this  dark  science  fare  badly 
at  their  hands.  It  is  a  very  common  sight  to  see 
cinereous  piles  on  the  roadside,  and  the  waving 
garments  suspended,  to  the  branches  of  trees 
above  them,  which  mark  the  fate  of  the  unfortu- 
nate  'Waganga'  or  medicine  man.  So  long  as 
their  predictions  prove  correct  and  have  a  happy 
culmination,  these  professors  of  *uchawi' — magic 
art — are  regarded  with  favor  by  the  people;  but 
if  an  unusual  calamity  overtakes  a  family,  and 
they  can  swear  that  it  is  the  result  of  the  magi- 
cian's art,  a  quorum  of  relentless  inquisition  is  soon 
formed,  and  a  like  fate  to  that  which  overtook  the 
*  witches'  in  the  dark  days  of  New  England  surely 
awaits  him. 

"  Enough  dead  wood  is  soon  found  in  their  Afri- 
can forests,  and  the  unhappy  one  perishes  by  fire, 
and,  as  a  warning  to  all  false  professors  of  the  art, 


WITCHCRAFT. 


Ill 


EXECUTION  FOR  WITCHCRAFT. 


Somefeimes  performed  by  burning ;  at  other  times  by  beheadal  and  casting 
into  the  river. 


AFRICAN  ORNAMENTA  TION",  |  j  ^ 

his  loin-cloth  is  hung  up  to  a  tree  above  the  spot 
where  he  met  his  doom. 

"In  Southern  Usagara,  the  people  are  most 
amiable ;  but  in  the  north,  in  those  districts  adja- 
cent to  the  Wahumba,  the  people  partake  of  the 
ferocious  character  of  their  fierce  neighbors.  Re- 
peated attacks  from  the  Waseguhha  kidnappers, 
from  the  Wadirigo  or  Wahehe  robbers  on  the 
southwest,  from  Wagogo  on  the  west  and  from 
Wahumba  on  the  north,  have  caused  them  to 
regard  strangers  with  suspicion  ;  but  after  a  short 
acquaintance  they  prove  to  be  a  frank,  amiable 
and  brave  people.  Indeed,  they  have  good  cause 
to  be  distrustful  of  the  Arabs  and  the  Wangwana 
of  Zanzibar.  Mbumi,  Eastern  Usagara,  has  been 
twice  burned  down,  within  a  few  years,  by  the 
Arabian  Waseguhha  kidnappers ;  Rehemeko  has 
met  the  same  fate,  and  it  was  not  many  years  ago 
since  Abdullah  bin  Nasib  carried  fire  and  sword 
from  Misonghi  to  Mpwapwa.  Kanyaparu,  lord 
of  the  hills  around  Chunyo,  Kunyo,  once  cultivated 
one-fourth  of  the  Marenga,  Mkali;  but  is  now 
restricted  to  the  hill-tops,  from  fear  of  the  Wadi- 
rigo marauders. 

"The  Wasagara,  male  and  female,  tattoo  the 
forehead,  bosom  and  arms.  Besides  inserting  the 
neck  of  a  eourd  in  each  ear — which  carries  his  lit- 
tie  store  of  *  tumbac '  or  tobacco,  and  lime,  which 
he  has  obtained  by  burning  land  shells — he  car- 
ries quite  a  number  of  primitive  ornaments  around 
8 


I  J  j^  IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

his  neck,  such  as  two  or  three  snowy  cowrie-shells, 
carved  pieces  of  wood,  or  a  small  goafs  horn,  or 
some  medicine  consecrated  by  the  medicine  man 
of  the  tribe,  a  fund  of  red  or  white  beads,  or  two 
or  three  pieced  Lungomazzi  egg-beads,  or  a  string 
of  copper  coins,  and  sometimes  small  brass  chains, 
like  a  cheap  Jack  watch-chain.  These  things  they 
have  either  made  themselves  or  purchased  from 
Arab  traders  for  chickens  or  goats.  The  children 
all  go  naked ;  youths  wear  a  goat  or  sheep-skin  ; 
grown  men  and  women,  blessed  with  progeny, 
wear  domestic  or  a  loin-cloth  of  Kaniki,  or  a  bar- 
sati,  which  is  a  favorite  colored  cloth  in  Usagara ; 
chiefs  wear  caps  such  as  are  worn  by  the  Wam- 
rima  Diwans,  or  the  Arab  tarboosh. 

"  Next  on  our  line  of  march,  appears  the  Wa- 
gogo,  a  powerful  race,  inhabiting  the  region  west 
of  Usagara  to  Uyanzi,  which  is  about  eighty  miles 
in  breadth  and  about  one  hundred  in  length. 

"  The  traveler  has  to  exercise  great  prudence, 
discretion  and  judgment  in  his  dealings  with  them. 
Here  he  first  heard  the  word  *houga*  after  pass- 
ing Limbomwenni,  a  word  which  signifies  tribute, 
though  It  formerly  meant  a  present  to  a  friend. 
Since  it  is  exacted  from  him  with  threats,  that  if  it 
IS  not  paid  they  will  make  war  on  him,  its  best 
interpretation  would  be,  'forcibly  extorted  tribute 
or  toll' 

**  Naturally,  if  the  traveler  desires  to  be  mulcted 
of  a  large  sum,  he  will  find  the  Wagogo  ready  to 


A  NOBLER  TRIBE.  I  ,  g 

receive  every  shred  of  cloth  he  gives  them. 
Moumi  will  demand  sixty  cloths,  and  will  wonder 
at  his  own  magnanimity  in  asking  such  a  small 
number  of  cloths  from  a  great  Musungu  (white 
man).  The  traveler,  however,  will  be  wise  if  he 
permits  his  chief  men  to  deal  with  them,  after  en- 
joining them  to  be  careful,  and  not  commit  them- 
selves too  hastily  to  any  number  or  amount  of 
gifts. 

"  They  are,  physically  and  intellectually,  the  best 
of  the  races  between  Unyamwezi  and  the  sea. 
Their  color  is  a  rich  dark  brown.  There  is  some- 
thing in  their  frontal  aspect  which  is  almost  leo- 
nine. Their  faces  are  broad  and  intelligent.  Their 
eyes  are  large  and  round.  Their  noses  are  flat, 
and  their  mouths  are  very  large ;  but  their  lips, 
though  thick,  are  not  so  monstrously  thick  as 
those  our  exaggerated  ideal  of  a  negro  has.  For 
all  this,  though  the  Wagogo  is  a  ferocious  man, 
capable  of  proceeding  to  any  length  upon  the 
slighest  temptation,  he  is  an  attractive  figure  to 
the  white  traveler.  He  is  proud  of  his  chief, 
proud  of  his  country,  sterile  and  unlovable  though 
it  be;  he  is  proud  of  himself,  his  prowess,  his 
weapons  and  his  belongings ;  he  is  vain,  terribly 
egotistic,  a  bully,  and  a  tyrant,  yet  the  Wagogo  is 
capable  of  forming  friendships,  and  of  exerting 
himself  for  friendship's  sake.  One  grand  vice  in 
his  character,  which  places  him  in  a  hostile  light 
to  travelers,  is  his  exceeding  avarice  and  greed 


J  1 5  I^  THE  fVILDS  OF  AFRICA, 

for  riches ;  and  If  the  traveler  suffers  by  this,  he  is 
not  likely  to  be  amiably  disposed  toward  him. 

"  This  sturdy  native,  with  his  rich  complexion, 
his  lion  front,  his  menacing  aspect,  bullying  nature, 
haughty,  proud  and  quarrelsome,  is  a  mere  child 
with  a  man  who  will  devote  himself  to  the  study 
of  his  nature,  and  not  offend  his  vanity.  He 
is  easily  angered,  and  his  curiosity  is  easily 
aroused.  A  traveler  with  an  angular  disposition 
is  sure  to  quarrel  with  him — but,  in  the  presence 
of  this  rude  child  of  nature,  especially  when  he  is 
so  powerful,  it  is  to  his  advantage  and  personal 
safety  to  soften  those  angles  of  his  own  nature. 
The  Wagogo  *Rob  Roy'  is  on  his  native  ground, 
and  has  a  decided  advantagfe  over  the  white 
foreigner.  He  is  not  brave,  but  he  is  at  least  con- 
scious of  the  traveler's  weakness,  and  he  is  dis- 
posed to  take  advantage  of  it,  but  is  prevented 
from  committinor  an  act  because  it  is  to  his  ad- 

o 

vantage  to  keep  the  peace.  Any  violence  to  a 
traveler  would  close  the  road ;  caravans  would 
seek  other  ways,  and  the  chiefs  would  be  deprived 
of  much  of  their  revenues. 

"  The  Wagogo  warrior  carries  as  his  weapons  a 
bow  and  a  sheaf  of  murderous-looking  arrows, 
pointed,  pronged  and  barbed ;  a  couple  of  light, 
beautifully-made  assegais ;  a  broad,  sword-like 
spear,  with  a  blade  over  two  feet  long ;  a  battle- 
axe,  and  a  rungu  or  knob-club.  He  has  also  a 
shield,  painted  with  designs  in  black  and  white, 


WARRIORS  AND  WARFARE. 


117 


AFRICAN  WARRIORS. 


Tbe  diields  and  assegais  are  flourished  in  the  air  while  the  demo«i-like 
warriors  dance  and  yell  in  preparation  for  battle. 


WARRIORS  ARMED.  j  I  g 

oval-shaped,  sometimes  of  rhinoceros,  or  ele- 
phant, or  bull-hide.  From  the  time  he  was  a  tod- 
dling urchin  he  has  been  familiar  with  his  weap- 
ons, and  by  the  time  he  was  fifteen  years  old  he 
was  an  adept  with  them. 

"  He  is  armed  for  battle  in  a  very  short  time. 
The  messenger  from  the  chief  darts  from  village 
to  village,  and  blows  his  ox-horn,  the  signal  for 
war.  The  warrior  hears  it,  throws  his  hoe  over 
his  shoulder,  enters  his  house,  and  in  a  few  seconds 
issues  out  again,  arrayed  in  war-paint  and  full 
fighting  costume.  Feathers  of  the  ostrich,  or  the 
eagle,  or  the  vulture  nod  above  his  head ;  his  long 
crimson  robe  streams  behind  him,  his  shield  is  on 
his  left  arm,  his  darting  assegai  in  his  left  hand, 
and  his  ponderous  man-cleaver — double-edged 
and  pointed,  heading  a  strong  staff — is  in  his  right 
hand;  jingling  bells  are  tied  around  his  ankles 
and  knees ;  ivory  wristlets  are  on  his  arms,  with 
which  he  sounds  his  approach.  With  the  plodding 
peasant's  hoe  he  has  dropped  the  peasant's  garb, 
and  is  now  the  proud,  vain,  exultant  warrior — 
bounding  aloft  like  a  gymnast,  eagerly  sniffing  the 
battle-field.  The  strength  and  power  of  the  Wa- 
gogo  are  derived  from  their  numbers. 

"Though  caravans  of  Wagogo  are  sometimes 
found  passing  up  and  down  the  Unyamwezi  road, 
they  are  not  so  generally  employed  as  the  Wan- 
yamwezi  in  trade.  Their  villages  are  thus  always 
full  of  warriors.    Weak  tribes,  or  remnants  of 


I  20  ^^  ^^^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

tribes  are  very  glad  to  be  admitted  under  thei-^ 
protection.  Individuals  of  other  tribes,  also,  whc 
have  been  obliged  to  exile  themselves  from  theii 
own  tribes,  for  some  deed  of  violence,  are  often 
found  in  the  villages  of  the  Wagogo.  In  the  north, 
the  Wahumba  are  very  numerous ;  in  the  south 
may  be  found  the  Wahehe  and  Wakimbu,  and  in 
the  east  may  be  found  many  a  family  from  Usa- 
gara.  Wanyamwi  are  also  frequently  found  in 
this  country.  Indeed,  these  latter  people  are  like 
Scotchmen,  they  may  be  found  almost  everywhere 
throughout  Central  Africa,  and  have  a  knack  of 
pushing  themselves  into  prominence. 

"As  in  Western  Usagara,  the  houses  of  the 
Wagogo  are  square,  arranged  around  the  four 
sides  of  an  area — to  which  all  the  doors  open. 
The  roofs  are  all  flat,  on  which  are  spread  the 
grain,  herbs,  tobacco  and  pumpkins.  The  back 
of  each  department  is  pierced  with  small  holes  for 
observation  and  for  defense. 

"The  tembe  is  a  fragile  affair  as  constructed  in 
Wagogo;  it  merely  consists  of  a  line  of  slender 
sticks  daubed  over  with  mud,  with  three  or  four 
strong  poles  planted  at  intervals  to  support  the 
beams  and  rafters,  on  which  rests  the  flat  clay  roof. 
A  musket-ball  pierces  the  wattled  walls  of  a 
Wagogo  tembe  through  and  through.  In  Uyanzi, 
the  tembe  is  a  formidable  aflair,  because  of  the 
abundance  of  fine  trees,  which  are  cut  down  and 
split  into  rails  three  or  four  inches  thick. 


FIL  THY  HOMES.  I  2 1 

"The  tembe  is  divided  into  apartments,  sepa- 
rated from  each  other  by  a  wattled  wall.  Each 
apartment  may  contain  a  family  of  grown-up  boys 
and  girls,  who  form  their  beds  on  the  floor,  out  of 
dressed  hides.  The  father  of  the  family,  only,  has 
a  kitanda,  or  fixed  cot,  made  of  ox-hide,  stretched 
over  a  frame,  or  of  the  bark  of  the  myombotree. 
The  floor  is  of  tamped  mud,  and  is  exceedingly 
filthy,  smelling  strongly  of  every  abomination.  In 
the  corners,  suspended  to  the  rafters,  are  the  fine, 
airy  dwellings  of  black  spiders  of  very  large  size, 
and  other  monstrous  insects. 

•  "Rats,  a  peculiarly  long-headed,  dun-colored 
species,  infest  every  tembe.  Cows,  goats,  sheep 
and  cats  are  the  only  domestic  animals  permitted 
to  dwell  within  the  tembe. 

"The  Wagogo  believe  in  the  existence  of  a  God, 
or  sky  spirit,  whom  they  call  Mulungu.  Their 
prayers  are  generally  directed  to  him  when  their 
parents  die.  A  Wagogo,  after  he  has  consigned 
his  father  to  the  grave,  collects  his  father  s  chattels 
together,  his  cloth,  his  ivory,  his  knife,  his  jeinbe 
(hoe),  his  bows  and  arrows,  his  spear  and  his  cattle, 
and  kneels  before  them,  repeating  a  wish  that 
Mulungu  would  increase  his  worldly  wealth,  that 
he  would  bless  his  labors  and  make  him  successful 
in  trade.  They  venerate,  and  often  perform  a 
dance  in  honor  of  the  moon. 

"The  following  conversation  occurred  between 
ipyself  and  a  Wagogo  trader: 


J  22  ^^  ^^^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

"  'Who  do  you  suppose  made  your  parents  ?* 

^''Why,  Mulungu,  white  man.' 

"  *  Well,  who  made  you  ?' 

"  *If  God  made  my  father,  God  made  me,  didn*t 

Her 

"  'That's  very  good.  Where  do  you  suppose 
you/  father  has  gone  to,  now  that  he  is  dead  ?' 

"'The  dead  die,'  said  he,  solemnly,  *  they  are  no 
more.  The  sultan  dies,  he  becomes  nothing — he 
is  thei2  no  better  than  a  dead  dog ;  he  is  finished, 
his  words  are  finished — there  are  no  words  from 
him.  It  is  true,'  he  added,  seeing  a  smile  on  my 
face,  *the  sultan  becomes  nothing.  He  who  says 
other  words  is  a  liar.     There.' 

"*But  then  he  is  a  very  great  man,  is  he  not?' 

"*  While  he  lives  only^ — after  death  he  goes  into 
the  pit,  and  there  is  no  more  to  be  said  of  him 
than  any  other  man.' 

"  '  How  do  you  bury  a  Wagogo  ?' 

"'His  legs  are  tied  together,  his  right  arm  to 
his  body,  and  his  left  is  put  under  his  head.  He 
is  then  rolled  on  his  left  side  in  the  grave.  His 
cloth  he  wore  during  his  life  is  spread  over  him. 
We  put  the  earth  over  him,  and  put  thorn-bushes 
over  it,  to  prevent  the  fize  (hyena)  from  getting 
at  him.  A  woman  is  put  on  her  right  side  in  a 
grave  apart  from  the  man.' 

"  'What  do  you  do  with  the  sultan,  when  he  is 
dead?' 

"  'We  bury  him,  too,  of  course ;  only  he  is  buried 


SOCIAL  CUSTOMS,  121 

in  the  middle  of  the  village,  and  we  build  a  house 
over  it.  Each  time  they  kill  an  ox,  they  kill  be- 
fore his  grave.  When  the  old  sultan  dies,  the  new 
one  calls  for  an  ox,  and  kills  it  before  his  grave, 
callinof  on  Mulunoru  to  witness  that  he  is  the  ricrht- 
ful  sultan.  He  then  distributes  the  meat  in  his 
father's  name/ 

"  *  Who  succeeds  the  sultan  ?     Is  he  the  eldest 
son  ?* 

"*Yes,  if  he  has  a  son  ;  if  childless,  the  great 
chief  next  to  him  in  rank.  The  msao[-ira  is  the 
next  to  the  sultan,  whose  business  it  is  to  hear  the 
cause  of  complaint,  and  convey  it  to  the  sultan, 
who,  through  the  sultan,  dispenses  justice,  he 
receives  the  honga,  carries  it  to  the  mtemi  (sul- 
tan), places  it  before  him,  and  when  the  sultan  has 
taken  what  he  wishes,  the  rest  goes  to  the  msagiri. 
The  chiefs  are  called  manya-para ;  the  msagiri  is 
the  chief  manya-para.' 

"  'How  do  the  Wagogo  marry?' 
"*0h,  they  buy  their  women.' 
"*What  is  a  woman  worth?' 
"*A  very  poor  man  can  buy  his  wife  from  her 
father  for  a  couple  of  goats.' 

"*How  much  has  the  sultan  got  to  pay?' 
***He  has  got  to  pay  about  one  hundred  goats, 
or  so  many  cows,  so  many  sheep  and  goats,  to  his 
bride's  father.  Of  course,  he  is  a  chief.  The  sul- 
tan would  not  buy  a  common  woman.  The  father's 
consent  is  to  be  obtained,  and  the  cattle  have  to 


124 


IN  THE   WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


be  given  up.  It  takes  many  days  to  finish  the  talk 
about  it.  All  the  family  and  friends  of  the  bride 
have  to  talk  about  it  before  she  leaves  her  father's 
house.' 

"'In  cases  of  murder,  what  do  you  do  to  the 
man  that  kills  another  ?' 

"*The  murderer  has  to  pay  fifty  cows.  If  he  is 
too  poor  to  pay,  the  sultan  gives  permission  to 
the  murdered  man's  friends  or  relatives  to  kill 
him.  If  they  catch  him,  they  tie  him  to  a  tree,  and 
throw  spears  at  him — one  at  a  time  first ;  they 
then  spring  on  him,  cut  his  head  off,  then  his  arms 
and  limbs,  and  scatter  them  about  the  country.' 

"'How  do  you  punish  a  thief?' 

"'If  he  is  found  stealing,  he  is  killed  at  once, 
and  nothing  is  said  about  it.     Is  he  not  a  thief?' 

"'But,  suppose  you  do  not  know  who  the  thief 
is?' 

"'If  a  man  is  brought  before  us  accused  of  steal- 
ing, we  kill  a  chicken.  If  the  entrails  are  white, 
he  is  innocent;  if  yellow,  he  is  guilty.' 

'"Do  you  believe  in  witchcraft?' 

'"Of  course  we  do,  and  punish  the  man  with 
death  who  bewitches  cattle  or  stops  rain.' 

"Sacrifices  of  human  life  as  penalty  for  witch- 
craft and  kindred  superstitions — indeed  for  many 
trivial  offenses — are  painfully  numerous  among 
nearly  all  the  tribes. 

"Next  to  Wagogo  is  Uyanzi,  or  the  'Magunda 
Mkali'— the  Hot  Field, 


MODES  OF  PUNISHMEKT. 


1-25 


WASTE  OF  HUMAN  LIFE. 


Human  life  is  sacrificed  as  a  penalty  for  witchcraft,  theft,  murder  and 
many  trivial  offenses. 


A  GRICUL  TURE.  j  2  7 

"  Uyanzi  or  Magunda  Mkali  is  at  present  very 
populous.  Along  the  northern  route — that  lead- 
ing via  Munieka — -water  is  plentiful  enough,  vil- 
lages are  frequent  and  travelers  begin  to  perceive 
that  the  title  is  inappropriate.  The  people  who 
inhabit  the  country  are  Wakimbu  from  the  south. 
They  are  good  agriculturists,  and  are  a  most  in- 
dustrious race.  They  are  something  like  the 
Wasagara  in  appearance,  but  do  not  obtain  a  very 
high  reputation  for  bravery.  Their  weapons  con- 
sist of  light  spears,  bows  and  arrows,  and  battle- 
axes.  Their  tembes  are  strongly  made,  showing 
considerable  skill  in  the  art  of  defensive  construc- 
tion. Their  bomas  are  so  well  made,  that  one 
would  require  cannon  to  effect  an  entrance,  if  the 
villages  were  at  all  defended.  They  are  skillful, 
also,  in  constructing  traps  for  elephants  and  buffa- 
loes. A  stray  lion  or  leopard  is  sometimes  caught 
by  them." 


CHAPTER  VI. 

ADVENTURES    IN    GREAT   VARIETY. 

STANLEY  received  a  noiseless  ovation  in 
Unyanyembe  as  he  walked  with  the  gover- 
nor to  his  house.  Soldiers  and  men  by  the 
hundreds,  hovered  round  their  chief,  staring  at 
him,  while  the  naked  children  peered  between  the 
legs  of  the  parents.  Tea  was  served  in  a  silver 
tea-pot  and  a  sumptuous  breakfast  was  furnished, 
which  Stanley  devoured  as  only  a  hungry  man  can, 
who  has  been  shut  up  for  so  many  months  in  the 
wilds  ol  Africa. 

Then  pipes  and  tobacco  were  produced,  and 
amid  the  whiffs  of  smoke  came  out  all  the  news 
that  Stanley  had  brought  from  Zanzibar,  while  the 
gratified  sheikh  smoked  and  listened.  When 
Stanley  took  his  leave  to  look  after  his  men  his 
host  accompanied  him  to  show  him  the  house  he 
was  to  occupy  while  he  remained.  It  was  com- 
modious and  quite  luxurious  after  his  long  life  in 
a  tent. 

All  the  caravans  had  arrived,  and  he  received 
the  reports  of  the  chief  of  each,  while  the  goods 
were  unpacked  and  examined.  One  had  had  a 
fight  with  the  natives  and  beaten  them,  another 
had  shot  a  thief,  and  the  fourth  had  lost  a  bale  of 

(128) 


CHIEFS  OF  TABNA.  1 20 

goods.  On  the  whole,  Stanley  was  satisfied  and 
thankful  there  had  been  no  more  serious  misfor- 
tunes. Food  was  furnished  with  lavish  prodi- 
gality, and  while  he  was  surfeiting  himself,  he 
ordered  a  bullock  to  be  slain  for  his  men,  now 
reduced  to  twenty-five  in  number.    • 

On  the  second  day  of  his  arrival,  the  chief  Arabs 
of  Tabna  came  to  visit  him.  This  is  the  chief 
Arab  settlement  of  Central  Africa,  and  contains  a 
thousand  huts  and  about  five  thousand  inhabitants. 
The  Arabs  are  a  fine,  handsome  set  of  men,  and 
living  amid  rich  pastures,  they  raise  large  herds 
of  cattle  and  goats,  and  vegetables  of  all  kinds, 
while  their  slaves  bring  back  in  caravans  from 
Zanzibar  the  luxuries  of  the  East,  not  only  coffee, 
spices,  wines,  salmon,  etc.,  but  Persian  carpets,  rich 
bedding,  and  elegant  table  service.  Some  of 
them  sport  gold  watches  and  chains.  Each  one 
keeps  as  many  concubines  as  he  can  afford,  the 
size  of  his  harem  being  limited  only  by  his  means. 

These  magnates  from  Tabna  after  finishinor  their 
visit,  invited  Stanley  to  visit  their  town  and  par- 
take of  a  feast  they  had  prepared  for  him.  Three 
days  after,  escorted  by  eighteen  of  his  men,  he 
returned  the  visit.  He  arrived  in  time  to  attend 
a  council  of  war  which  was  being  held,  as  to  the 
best  manner  of  asserting  their  rights  against  a 
robber-chief  named  Mirambo.  He  had  carried 
war  through  several  tribes  and  claimed  the  right 
to  waylay  and  rob  Arab  caravans.     This  must  be 


I30 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 


Stopped,  and  it  was  resolved  to  make  war  against 
him  in  his  stronghold.  Stanley  agreed  to  accom- 
pany  them,  taking  his  caravan  a  part  of  the  way 
and  leaving  it  until  Mirambo  was  defeated,  and 
the  way  to  Ujiji  cleared. 

Returning  to  Unyanyembe,  he  found  the  cara- 
van which  had  been  made  up  to  carry  supplies  to 
Livingstone  in  November  i  st,  1 870.  Having  gone 
twenty-five  miles  from  Zanzibar,  to  Bagomayo,  it 
had  stayed  there  one  hundred  days,  when,  hearing 
that  the  English  consul  was  coming,  it  had  started 
off  in  affright  just  previous  to  Stanley's  arrival. 
Whether  owing  to  his  great  change  in  diet  or 
some  other  cause,  Stanley  was  now  stricken  down 
with  fever  and  for  a  week  tossed  in  delirium. 
Selim,  his  faithful  servant,  took  care  of  him. 
When  he  had  recovered,  the  servant  also  was 
seized  with  it. 

But  by  the  29th  of  July  all  the  sick  had  recov- 
ered, and  the  caravan  was  loaded  up  for  Ujiji. 
But  Bombay  was  absent  and  they  had  to  wait 
from  eight  o'clock  till  two  in  the  afternoon,  he 
stubbornly  refusing  to  leave  his  mistress.  When 
he  arrived  and  was  ordered  to  his  place  he  made 
a  savage  reply.  The  next  moment  Stanley's  cane 
was  falling  like  lightning  on  his  shoulders.  The 
poor  fellow  soon  cried  for  mercy.  The  order 
"  March "  was  then  given,  and  the  guide,  with 
forty  armed  men  behind  him,  led  off  with  flags 
streaming.     At  first,  in  dead  silence,  they  moved 


COVNCILS  OF  WAM: 


*3I 


A  COUNCIL  OF  WAR. 


^rhe  chiefs  of  the  tribes  in  a  certain  vicinity  meet  to  omfer  concerning  their 
wrongs  and  to  plan  for  redress. 


FIGHTING  WITH  MIRAMBO.  j^t 

on,  but  soon  struck  up  a  monotonous  sort  of 
chorus,  which  seemed  to  consist  mostly  of  "  Hoy, 
hoy,''  and  was  kept  up  all  day.  The  second  day 
he  arrived  at  Masangi,  where  he  was  told  the 
Arabs  were  waiting  for  him  at  Mfuto,  six  hours' 
march  distant.  The  next  morning,  he  arrived  at 
the  place  where  the  Arab  army  was  gathered, 
numbering  in  all  two  thousand  two  hundred  and 
twenty-five  men,  of  whom  fifteen  hundred  were 
armed  with  guns.  With  banners  flying  and  drums 
beating,  they,  on  the  3d  of  August,  marched  forth, 
but  in  a  few  hours  Stanley  was  again  stricken 
down  with  fever. 

The  next  day  the  march  was  resumed,  and  at 
eleven  o'clock  Zimbize,  the  stronghold  of  the 
enemy,  came  in  view.  The  forces  quickly  sur- 
rounded it.  A  general  assault  followed  and  the 
village  was  captured,  the  inhabitants  fleeing  toward 
the  mountains,  pursued  closely  by  the  yelling 
Arabs.  Only  twenty  dead  bodies  were  found 
within.  The  next  day,  two  more  villages  were 
burned  and  the  day  after,  a  detachment  fivej  hun- 
dred strong  scoured  the  country  around,  carrying 
devastation  and  ruin  in  their  path.  At  this  critical 
period  of  the  campaign,  Stanley  was  still  down 
with  fever,  and  while  he  lay  in  his  hammock,  news 
came  that  the  detachment  of  five  hundred  men 
had  been  surprised  and  killed.  Mirambo  had 
turned  and  ambushed  them,  and  now  the  boasting 
of  the  morning  was  turning  into  despondency. 


J  24  ^^  ^^^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

The  women  made  the  night  hideous  with  shrieks 
and  lamentations  over  their  slain  husbands.  The 
next  day  there  was  a  regular  stampede  of  the 
Arabs,  and  when  Stanley  was  able  to  get  out  of 
his  tent  only  seven  men  were  left  to  him ;  all  the 
rest  had  returned  to  Mfuto,  and  soon  after  to 
Tabna  twenty-five  miles  distant. 

It  was  plain  that  it  was  useless  to  open  the  direct 
road  to  Ujiji,  which  lay  through  Mirambo's  dis- 
trict. In  fact,  it  seemed  impossible  to  get  there  at 
all,  and  the  only  course  left  was  to  return  to  the 
coast  and  abandon  the  project  of  reaching  Living- 
stone altogether.  But  what  would  Livingstone 
do  locked  up  at  Ujiji?  He  might  perhaps  go 
north  and  meet  Baker,  who  was  moving  with  a 
strong  force  southward.  But  he  was  told  by  a 
man  that  Livingstone  was  coming  to  Nyano  Lake 
toward  the  Tanganika,  on  which  Ujiji  is  situated, 
at  the  very  time  it  was  last  reported  he  was  mur- 
dered. He  was  then  walking,  dressed  in  Ameri- 
can sheeting,  having  lost  all  his  cloth  in  Lake 
Leemba.  He  had  a  breech-loading  double-barreled 
rifle  with  him  and  two  revolvers.  Stanley  felt  that 
he  could  not  give  up  trying  to  reach  him  now, 
when  it  was  so  probable  that  he  was  within  four 
hundred  miles  of  him. 

On  the  13th,  a  caravan  came  in  from  the  east 
and  reported  Farquhar  dead  at  the  place  where 
he  had  been  left.  Ten  days  after,  Mirambo  at- 
tacked Tabna  and  set  it  on  fire.     Stanley,  at  this 


A  FL  YING  CARA  VAN.  j  ^^ 

time,  was  encamped  at  Kwihara,  in  sight  of  the 
burning  town.  The  refugees  came  pouring  in,  and 
Stanley,  finding  the  men  willing  to  stand  by  him, 
began  to  prepare  for  defense,  and  counting  up  his 
little  force  found  he  had  one  hundred  and  fifty 
men.  He  was  not  attacked,  however,*  and  five 
days  after,  Mirambo  retreated.  The  Arabs  held 
councils  of  war  and  urged  Stanley  to  become  their 
ally,  but  he  refused,  and  finally  took  the  bold  reso- 
lution of  organizing  a  flying  caravan,  and  by  a 
southern  route  and  quick  marching,  reach  Ujiji. 
This  was  August  27th,  and  the  third  month  he  had 
been  in  Unyanyembe.  Having  got  together  some 
forty  men  in  all,  he  gave  a  great  banquet  to  them 
prior  to 'their  departure,  which  an  attack  of  fever 
caused  him  to  postpone.  On  the  20th  of  Septem- 
ber, though  too  weak  to  travel,  he  mustered  his 
entire  force  outside  the  town  and  found,  that  by 
additional  men  which  the  Arabs  had  succeeded  in 
securing,  it  now  numbered  fifty-four  men.  When 
all  was  ready  Bombay  was  again  missing,  and 
when  found  and  brought  up,  excused  himself,  as 
of  old,  by  saying  he  was  bidding  his  "misses'' 
good-bye.  As  he  seemed  inclined  to  pick  a  quar- 
rel with  Stanley,  the  latter  not  being  in  the  most 
amiable  mood  and  wishing  to  teach  the  others  a 
lesson,  gave  him  a  sound  thrashing. 

Soon,  everything  being  ready,  the  word  "march'* 
passed  down  the  line  and  Stanley  started  on  his 
last  desperate  attempt  to  push  on  to  Ujiji,  not 


1^6  ^^  ^^^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

much  farther  than  from  Albany  to  Buffalo  as  th^ 
crow  flies,  but  by  the  way  he  would  be  compelled 
to  go,  no  one  knew  how  far,  nor  what  time  it 
would  take  to  reach  it.  But  Stanley  had  good 
reason  to  believe  that  Livingstone  was  alive,  and 
from  the  reports  he  could  get  of  his  movements 
that  he  must  be  at  or  near  Ujiji,  and  therefore  to 
Ujiji  he  was  determined  to  go,  unless  death  stopped 
his  progress.  He  had  been  set  on  a  mission,  and 
although  the  conditions  were  not  that  he  should 
surmount  impossibilities,  still  he  would  come  as 
near  to  that  as  human  effort  could.  Though  sick 
with  fever,  and  with  that  prostration  and  utter  loss 
of  will  accompanying  it,  he  nevertheless  with  that 
marvelous  energy  that  is  never  exhibited  except 
in  rare  exceptional  characters,  kept  his  great  ob- 
ject in  view.  That  never  lost  its  hold  on  him 
under  the  most  disastrous  circumstances,  neither 
in  the  delirium  of  fever  nor  in  the  utter  prostra- 
tion that  followed  it.  This  tenacity  of  purpose 
and  indomitable  will  ruling  and  governing  him, 
where  in  all  other  men  it  would  have  had  no 
power,  exhibit  the  extraordinary  qualities  of  this 
extraordinary  man.  We  do  not  believe  that  he 
himself  was  fully  aware  of  this  inherent  power, 
this  fixedness  of  purpose  that  makes  him  different 
from  all  other  men.  No  man  possessing  it  is 
conscious  of  it  any  more  than  an  utterly  fearless 
man  is  conscious  of  his  own  courage.  The  fol- 
lowing touching  extract  from  his  journal  at  this 


DESPONDENCY.  j^T 

time  lets  in  a  flood  of  light  on  the  character  and 
the  inner  life  of  this  remarkable  man  : 

"About  lo  P.  M.  the  fever  had  gone.  All  were 
asleep  in  the  tembe  but  myself,  and  an  unutterable 
loneliness  came  on  me  as  I  reflected  on  my  posi- 
tion, and  my  intentions,  and  felt  the  utter  lack  of 
sympathy  with  me  in  all  around.  Even  my  own 
white  assistant,  with  whom  I  had  striven  hard,  was 
less  sympathizing  than  my  little  black  boy  Kalulu. 
It  requires  more  nerve  than  I  possess  to  dispel  all 
the  dark  presentiments  that  come  upon  the  mind. 
But,  probably,  what  I  call  presentiments  are  simply 
the  impress  on  the  mind  of  the  warnings  which 
these  false-hearted  Arabs  have  repeated  so  often. 
This  melancholy  and  loneliness  which  I  feel,  may 
probably  have  their  origin  from  the  same  cause. 
The  single  candle  which  barely  lights  up  the  dark 
shade  which  fills  the  corners  of  my  room,  is  but 
a  poor  incentive  to  cheerfulness.  I  feel  as  though 
I  were  imprisoned  between  stone  walls.  But  why 
should  I  feel  as  if  baited  by  these  stupid,  slow- 
witted  Arabs,  and  their  warnings  and  croakings? 
I  fancy  a  suspicion  haunts  my  mind,  as  I  write, 
that  there  lies  some  motive  behind  all  this. 

"I  wonder  if  these  Arabs  tell  me  all  these  things 
to  keep  me  here,  in  the  hope  that  I  may  be  induced 
another  time  to  assist  them  in  their  war  against 
Mirambo!  If  they  think  so,  they  are  much  mis- 
taken, for  I  have  taken  a  solemn,  enduring  oath 
-—an  oath  to  be  kept  while  the  least  hope  of  Xiis 


1^8  ^^  THE  WILDS  OF  AFMCA. 

remains  in  me — not  to  be  tempted  to  break  the 
resolution  I  have  formed,  never  to  give  up  the 
search  until  I  find  Livingstone  alive,  or  find  his 
dead  body;  and  never  to  return  home  without  the 
strongest  possible  proofs  that  he  is  alive  or  that 
he  is  dead.  No  living  man  or  living  men  shall 
stop  me — only  death  can  prevent  me.  But  death 
— not  even  this ;  I  shall  not  die — I  will  not  die — I 
cannot  die ! 

"  And  something  tells  me,  I  do  not  know  what 
it  is — perhaps  it  is  the  everliving  hopefulness  of 
my  own  nature  ;  perhaps  it  is  the  natural  presump- 
tion born  out  of  an  abundant  and  glowing  vitality, 
or  the  outcome  of  an  overweening  confidence  in 
one's  self — anyhow  and  everyhow,  something  tells 
me  to-night  I  shall  find  him,  and — write  it  larger 
— Find  him  !  Find  him  !  Even  the  words  are  in- 
spiring. I  feel  more  happy.  Have  I  uttered  a 
prayer  ?     I  shall  sleep  calmly  to-night/' 

There  is  nothing  in  this  whole  terrible  journey 
so  touching,  and  revealing  so  much,  as  this  extract 
from  his  journal  does.  It  shows  that  he  is  human, 
and  yet  far  above  common  human  weakness. 
Beset  with  difificulties,  his  only  white  companion 
dead  or  about  to  be  left  behind,  the  Arabs  them- 
selves and  the  natives  telling  him  he  cannot  go  on, 
left  all  alone  in  a  hostile  country,  his  men  desert- 
ing him,  he  pauses  and  ponders.  To  make  all 
these  outer  conditions  darker,  he  is  smitten  down 
with  fever  that  saps  the  energies,  unnerves  the 


TRIUMPH,  J  y. 

heart  and  fills  the  imagination  with  gloomy  fore- 
bodings, and  makes  the  soul  sigh  for  rest.  It  if 
the  lowest  pit  of  despondency  into  which  a  mar 
may  be  cast.  He  feels  it,  and  all  alone,  fever- worn 
and  sad,  he  surveys  the  prospect  before  him. 
There  is  not  a  single  soul  on  which  to  lean — not  a 
sympathizing  heart  to  turn  to  while  fever  is  burn- 
ing up  his  brain,  and  night,  moonless  and  starless, 
is  settling  down  around  him.  He  would  be  less 
than  human  not  to  feel  the  desolation  of  his  posi- 
tion, and  for  a  moment  to  sink  under  this  accumu- 
lation of  disastrous  circumstances.  He  does  feel 
how  utterly  hopeless  and  sad  is  his  condition  ;  and 
all  through  the  first  part  of  this  entry  in  his  jour- 
nal, there  is  something  that  sounds  like  a  mourn- 
ful refrain ;  yet  at  its  close,  out  of  his  gloomy 
surroundings,  up  from  his  feverish  bed  speaks  the 
brave  heart  in  trumpet  tones,  showing  the  indomi- 
table will  that  nothing  can  break,  crying  out  of  the 
all-enveloping  gloom,  "  no  living  man  or  living  men 
shall  stop  me — only  death  can  prevent  me.''  There 
spoke  one  of  the  few  great  natures  God  has  made. 
The  closing  words  of  that  entry  in  his  journal  ring 
like  a  bugle- note  from  his  sick-bed,  and  foretell  his 
triumph. 

But,  at  last,  they  were  off.  Shaw,  the  last  white 
man  left  to  Stanley,  had  been  sick  and  apparently 
indifferent  whether  he  lived  or  died  ;  but  all  after 
a  short  march  became  enlivened,  and  things  looked 
more  promising.     But   Stanley  was   soon   again 


I40  ^^  ^^^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA.  ^ 

taken  sick  with  the  fever  and  the  men  began  to  be 
discouraged.  Staggering  from  his  sick-bed  he 
found  that  twenty  of  his  men  had  deserted. 
Aroused  at  this  new  danger  he  instantly  dispatched 
twenty  men  after  them,  while  he  sent  his  faithful 
follower,  Selim,  to  an  Arab  chief  to  borrow  a  long 
slave-chain.  At  night,  the  messengers  returned 
with  nine  of  the  missing  men.  Stanley  then  told 
them  that  he  had  never  used  the  slave-chain,  but 
now  he  should  on  the  first  deserters.  He  had  re- 
solved to  go  to  Ujiji,  where  he  believed  Dr.  Liv- 
ingstone was,  and  being  so  near  the  accomplish- 
ment of  the  mission  he  was  sent  on,  he  was  ready 
to  resort  to  any  measures  rather  than  fail.  De- 
ferring the  use  of  the  chain  at  present,  he  started 
forward  and  encamped  at  Iresaka.  In  the  morn- 
ing, two  more  men  were  missing.  Irritated  but 
determined,  this  resolute  man  halted,  sent  back  for 
the  fugitives,  caught  them,  and  when  brought  back, 
flogged  them  severely  and  chained  them.  Not- 
withstanding  this  severe  treatment,  the  next  morn- 
ing another  man  deserted,  while  to  add  to  his 
perplexities  and  enhance  the  difficulties  that  sur- 
rounded him,  a  man  who  had  accompanied  him  all 
the  way  from  the  coast  asked  to  be  discharged. 
Several  others  of  the  expedition  were  now  taken 
sick  and  became  unable  to  proceed ;  and  it  seemed, 
notwithgtanding  the  resolute  will  of  the  leader, 
that  the  expedition  must  break  up.  But  fortu- 
nately, that  evening  men  who  had  been  in  caravans 


SHAW  LEFT.  j^j 

to  the  coast  entered  the  village  where  they  were 
encamped  with  wondrous  stories  of  what  they  had 
seen,  which  revived  the  spirits  of  all,  and  the  next 
morning  they  started  off,  and  after  three  hours' 
march  through  the  forest  came  to  KIgandu.  Shaw, 
the  last  white  man  now  left  to  him,  between  real 
and  feigned  sickness  had  become  such  a  burden, 
that  he  determined  to  leave  him  behind,  as  the 
latter  had  often  requested. 

That  night,  the  poor  wretch  played  on  an  old 
accordion  ''Home,  Sweet  Home/'  which,  miserable 
as  It  was,  stirred  the  depths  of  Stanley's  heart  for 
the  man  now  about  to  be  left  alone  amid  Arabs  and 
natives  In  the  most  desperate  crisis  of  the  under- 
taking. But  It  could  not  be  helped.  Speed  was 
everything  on  this  new  route,  or  MIrambo  would 
close  It  also.  So  on  the  morning  of  the  27th  he 
ordered  the  horn  to  sound  "get  ready,''  and  Shaw 
being  sent  back  to  Kwlhara,  Stanley  set  off  on 
his  southern  unknown  route  to  Ujljl  and  en- 
tered the  dark  forests  and  pressed  rapidly  for- 
ward. In  seven  hours  he  reached  the  village  of 
Ugunda  which  numbers  two  thousand  souls.  It  was 
well  fortified  against  the  robber,  MIrambo.  Around 
their  principal  village,  some  three  thousand  square 
acres  were  under  cultivation,  giving  them  not  only 
all  the  provisions  tiiey  wanted  for  their  own  use, 
but  also  enough  for  passing  caravans.  They 
could  also  furnish  carriers  for  those  In  want  of 
them.     On  the  28th,  they  arrived  at  a  small  vil» 


142 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


lage  well  supplied  with  corn,  and  the  next  day 
reached  Kikura  a  place  impregnated  with  the  most 
deadly  of  African  fevers.  Over  desert  plains, 
now  sheering  on  one  side  to  avoid  the  corpse  of  a 
man  dead  from  small-pox,  the  scourge  of  Africa, 
and  again  stumbling  on  a  skeleton,  the  caravan 
kept  on  till  they  came  to  the  cultivated  fields  of 
Manyara. 

A  wilderness  one  hundred  and  thirty-five  miles 
in  extent  stretched  out  before  them  from  this 
place,  and  Stanley  was  inclined  to  be  very  con- 
ciliatory toward  the  chief  of  the  village,  in  order 
to  get  provisions  for  the  long  and  desperate  march 
before  him  But  the  chief  was  very  sullen  and 
wholly  indifferent  to  the  presents  the  white  man 
offered  him.  With  adroit  diplomacy,  Stanley  sent 
to  him  some  magnificent  royal  cloths,  which  so 
mollified  the  chief  that  abundant  provisions  were 
soon  sent  in,  followed  by  the  chief  himself  with 
fifty  warriors  bearing  gifts  quite  equal  to  those 
which  Stanley  sent  him,  and  they  entered  the  tent 
of  the  first  white  man  they  had  ever  seen.  Look- 
ing at  him  for  some  time  in  silent  surprise,  the 
chiefs  burst  into  an  incontrollable  fit  of  laughter, 
accompanied  with  snapping  their  fingers.  But 
when  they  were  shown  the  sixteen-shooters  and 
revolvers  their  astonishiESC:  it  knew  no  bounds, 
while  the  double-barreled  £  ms,  heavily  charged, 
made  them  jump  to  their  teet  with  alarm,  fol- 
lowed by  convulsions  of  laughter.     Stanley  then 


THE  HUNTER'S  J^ARADISS. 


143 


showed  them  his  chest  of  medicine,  and  finally 
gave  them  a  dose  in  the  form  of  brandy.  They 
tasted  It,  making  wry  faces,  when  he  produced  a 
bottle  of  concentrated  ammonia,  saying  that  it 
was  for  snake  bites.  One  of  the  chiefs  asked  for 
some  of  it.  It  was  suddenly  presented  to  his  nose, 
when  his  features  underwent  such  indescribable 
contortions  that  the  other  chiefs  burst  into  con- 
vulsions of  laughter,  clapped  their  hands,  pinched 
each  other  and  went  through  all  sorts  of  ludicrous 
gesticulations.  When  the  chief  recovered  him- 
self, the  tears  in  the  meanwhile  rolling  down  his 
cheeks,  he  laughed  and  simply  said,  "^/'r^;^^  medi- 
cine.'' The  others  then  took  a  sniff  and  went  off 
into  paroxysms  of  laughter. 

Wednesday,  October  4th,  found  them  traveling 
toward  the  Gombe  River.  They  had  hardly  left 
the  waving  corn-fields,  when  they  came  in  sight 
of  a  large  herd  of  zebras.  Passing  on,  the  open 
forest  resembled  a  magnificent  park,  filled  with 
buffalo,  zebra,  giraffe,  antelope  and  other  tropical 
animals,  while  the  scenery  on  every  side  was  en- 
trancing. These  noble  animals,  coursing  in  their 
wild  freedom  through  those  grand,  primeval  for- 
ests, presented  a  magnificent  sight.  Stanley, 
thoroughly  aroused,  crept  back  to  his  camp,  which 
had  been  pitched  on  the  Gombe  River,  and  pre- 
pared for  a  right  royal  hunt.     He  says: 

"  Here,  at  last,  was  the  hunter's  paradise !  How 
petty  and  insignificant  appeared  my  hunts  after 


1 4^  IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

small  antelope  and  wild  boar;  what  a  foolish  waste 
of  energies,  those  long  walks  through  damp 
grasses  and  thorny  jungles.  Did  I  not  well  re- 
member my  first  bitter  experience  in  African 
jungles,  when  in  the  maritime  region?  But  this 
— where  is  the  nobleman's  park  that  can  match 
this  scene?  Here  is  a  soft,  velvety  expanse  of 
young  grass,  grateful  shade  under  close,  spread- 
ing clumps,  herds  of  large  and  varied  game 
browsing  within  easy  rifle-shot.  Surely  I  must  feel 
amply  compensated  now  for  the  long  southern 
detour  I  have  made,  when  such  a  prospect  as  this 
opens  to  the  view!  No  thorny  jungles  and  rank- 
smelling  swamps  are  to  daunt  the  hunter,  and  to 
sicken  his  aspirations  after  true  sport.  No  hunter 
could  aspire  after  a  nobler  field  to  display  his 
prowess. 

"  Having  settled  the  position  of  the  camp,  which 
overlooked  one  of  the  pools  found  in  the  depres- 
sion of  the  Gombe  Creek,  I  took  my  double-bar- 
reled smooth  bore,  and  sauntered  off  to  the  park- 
land. Emerging  from  behind  a  clump,  three  fine, 
plump  spring-bok  were  seen  browsing  on  the 
young  grass  just  within  one  hundred  yards.  I 
knelt  down  and  fired ;  one  unfortunate  antelope 
bounded  forward  instinctively  and  fell  dead.  Its 
companions  sprang  high  into  the  air,  taking 
leaps  about  twelve  feet  in  length,  as  if  they  were 
quadrupeds  practicing  gymnastics,  and  away  they 
vanished,  rising  up  like  India-rubber  balls,  until  a 


SPRING-BOK. 


'45 


ON  THE  HUNT.  I  ^7 

knoll  hid  them  from  view.  My  success  was  hailed 
with  loud  shouts  by  the  soldiers,  who  came  run- 
ning out  from  the  camp  as  soon  as  they  heard  the 
reverberation  of  the  gun,  and  my  gun-bearer  had 
his  knife  at  the  throat  of  the  beast,  uttering  a  fer- 
vent 'Bismillah'  as  he  almost  severed  the  head 
from  the  body. 

"  Hunters  were  now  directed  to  proceed  east 
and  north  to  procure  meat,  because  in  each  cara- 
van it  generally  happens  that  there  are  fundi 
whose  special  trade  it  is  to  hunt  for  meat  for  the 
camp.  Some  of  these  are  experts  in  stalking,  but 
often  find  themselves  in  dangerous  positions, 
owing  to  the  near  approach  necessary  before  they 
can  fire  their  most  inaccurate  weapons  with  any 
certainty. 

"After  luncheon,  consisting  of  spring-bok  steak, 
hot  corn-cake  and  a  cup  of  Mocha  coffee,  I  strolled 
toward  the  southwest,  accompanied  by  Kalulu  and 
Majwara,  two  boy  gun-bearers.  The  tiny  per- 
pusilla  started  up  like  rabbits  from  me  as  I  stole 
along  through  the  underbrush;  the  honey-bird 
hopped  from  tree  to  tree  chirping  its  call,  as  if  it 
thought  I  was  seeking  the  little  sweet  treasure,  the 
hiding-place  of  which  it  only  knew ;  but,  no !  I 
neither  desired  perpusilla  nor  the  honey.  I  was 
on  the  search  for  something  great  this  day.  Keen- 
eyed  fish-eagles  and  bustards  poised  on  trees 
above  the  sinuous  Gombe  thought,  and  probably 
with  good  reason,  that  I  was  after  them,  judging  by 


148 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


the  ready  flight  with  which  both  species  disap- 
peared as  they  sighted  my  approach.  Ah,  no  ! 
nothing  but  hartbeest,  zebra,  giraffe,  eland  and 
buffalo  this  day. 

"After  following  the  Gombe's  course  for  about 
a  mile,  delighting  my  eyes  with  long  looks  at  the 
broad  and  lengthy  reaches  of  water,  to  which  I 
was  so  long  a  stranger,  I  came  upon  a  scene  which 
delighted  the  innermost  recesses  of  my  soul ;  five, 
six,  seven,  eight,  ten  zebras  switching  their  beauti- 
ful striped  bodies,  and  biting  one  another,  within 
about  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards.  The  scene  was 
so  pretty,  so  romantic,  never  did  I  so  thoroughly 
realize  that  I  was  in  Central  Africa.  I  felt  momen- 
tarily proud  that  I  owned  such  a  vast  dominion, 
inhabited  by  such  noble  beasts.  Here  I  possessed, 
within  reach  of  a  leaden  ball,  any  one  I  chose  of 
the  beautiful  animals,  the  pride'  of  the  African 
forests.  It  was  at  my  option  to  shoot  any  one  of 
them.  Mine  they  were,  without  money  and  with- 
out price ;  yet,  knowing  this,  twice  I  dropped  my 
rifle,  loath  to  wound  the  royal  beasts,  but — crack ! 
and  a  royal  one  was  on  his  back,  battling  the  air 
with  his  legs.  Ah,  it  was  such  a  pity!  but  hasten, 
draw  the  keen,  sharp-edged  knife  across  the 
beautiful  stripes  which  fold  around  the  throat,  and 
— what  an  ugly  gash  !  it  is  done,  and  I  have  a 
superb  animal  at  my  feet.  Hurrah !  I  shall  taste 
of  Ukononoro  zebra  to-niorht. 

"  I  thought  a  spring-bok  and  zebra  enough  for 


CROCODILES,  I^Q 

one  day's  sport,  especially  after  a  long  march. 
The  Gombe,  a  long  stretch  of  deep  water,  winding 
in  and  out  of  green  groves,  calm,  placid,  with  lotus 
leaves  resting  lightly  on  its  surface,  all  pretty,  pic- 
turesque, peaceful  as  a  summer's  dream,  looked 
very  inviting  for  a  bath.  I  sought  out  the  most 
shady  spot  under  a  wide-spreading  mimosa,  from 
which  the  ground  sloped  smooth  as  a  lawn  to  the 
still,  clear  water.  I  ventured  to  undress,  and  had 
already  stepped  to  my  ankles  in  the  water,  and 
had  brought  my  hands  together  for  a  glorious 
dive,  when  my  attention  was  attracted  by  an  enor- 
mously long  body  which  shot  into  view,  occupying 
the  spot  beneath  the  surface  which  I  was  about  to 
explore  by  a  *  header.'  Great  heavens,  it  was  a 
crocodile  !  I  sprang  back  instinctively,  and  this 
proved  my  salvation,  for  the  monster  turned  away 
with  the  most  disappointed  look,  and  I  was  left  to 
congratulate  myself  upon  my  narrow  escape  from 
his  jaws,  and  to  register  a  vow  never  to  be  tempted 
again  by  the  treacherous  calm  of  an  African  river." 


CHAPTER  Vn. 

THE    END    APPROACHES. 

THE  following  extract  from  Stanley's  jour- 
nal, written  up  that  night  after  his  hunting 
tour,  shows  that  this  strong,  determined, 
fearless  man  was  not  merely  a  courageous  lion, 
but  that  he  possessed  also  the  eye  of  an  artist  and 
the  soul  of  a  poet.  With  a  few  strokes  of  his  pen, 
he  sketches  a  picture  on  the  banks  of  the  forest- 
lined  river,  full  of  life  and  beauty : 

"The  adventures  of  the  day  were  over;  the 
azure  of  the  sky  had  changed  to  a  deep  gray ;  the 
moon  was  appearing  just  over  the  trees  ;  the  water 
of  the  Gombe  was  like  a  silver  belt ;  hoarse  frogs 
bellowed  their  notes  loudly  by  the  margin  of  the 
creek  ;  the  fish-eagles  uttered  their  dirge-like  cries 
as  they  were  perched  high  on  the  tallest  trees  ; 
elands  snorted  their  warning  to  the  herd  in  the 
forest;  stealthy  forms  of  the  carnivora  stole  through 
the  dark  woods  outside  of  our  camp.  Within  the 
high  inclosure  of  bush  and  thorn  which  we  had 
raised  about  our  camp,  all  was  jollity,  laughter  and 
radiant,  genial  comfort.  Around  every  camp-fire, 
dark  forms  of  men  were  seen  squatted :  one  man 
gnawed  at  a  luscious  bone ;  another  sucked  the 
rich  marrow  in  a  zebra's  leg  bone ;  another  turned 

(150) 


MUTINOUS  CONDUCT. 


151 


•  the  stick,  garnished  with  huge  cabobs,  to  the  bright 
blaze  ;  another  held  a  large  rib  over  a  flame  ;  there 
were  others  busy  stirring,  industriously,  great  black 
potfuls  of  ugali,  and  watching  anxiously  the  meat 
simmering,  and  the  soup  bubbling,  while  the  fire- 
light  flickered  and  danced  bravely,  and  cast  a 
bright  glow  over  the  naked  forms  of  the  men,  and 
gave  a  crimson  tinge  to  the  tall  tent  that  rose  in 
the  centre  of  the  camp,  like  a  temple  sacred  to 
some  mysterious  god ;  the  fires  cast  their  reflections 
upon  the  massive  arms  of  the  trees,  as  they 
branched  over  our  camp ;  and,  in  the  dark  gloom 
of  their  foliage,  the  most  fantastic  shadows  were 
visible.  Altogether,  it  was  a  wild,  romantic  and 
impressive  scene/' 

They  halted  here  for  two  days,  the  men  hunting 
and  gormandizing.  Like  all  animals,  after  gorging 
themselves  they  did  not  want  to  move,  and  when 
on  the  7th  of  October  Stanley  ordered  the  caravan 
to  be  put  in  motion,  the  men  refused  to  stir.  Stan- 
ley at  once  walked  swiftly  toward  them  with  his 
double-barreled  gun,  loaded  with  buck-shot,  in  his 
hand.  As  he  did  so  he  saw  the  men  seize  their 
guns.  He,  however,  kept  resolutely  on  till  within 
thirty  yards  of  two  men,  whose  heads  were  peer- 
ing above  an  ant-hill,  their  guns  pointed  across  the 
road, — then  suddenly  halting,  he  took  deliberate 
aim  at  them,  determined  come  what  would  to  blow 
out  their  brains.  One  of  them,  a  giant,  named 
Azmani,  instantly  brought  up  his  gun  with  his  finger 


ir2  I^  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 

on  the  trigger.  "  Drop  that  gun  or  you  are  a  dead 
man,"  shouted  Stanley.  They  obeyed  and  came 
forward,  but  he  saw  that  murder  was  in  Azmani's 
eyes.  The  other  man,  at  the  second  order,  laid 
down  his  gun  and,  with  a  blow  from  Stanley  that 
sent  him  reeling  away,  sneaked  off.  But  the 
giant,  Azmani,  refused  to  obey,  and  Stanley  aiming 
his  piece  at  his  head  and  touching  the  trigger  was 
about  to  fire.  The  former  quickly  lifted  his  gun 
up  to  his  shoulder  to  shoot.  In  another  second 
he  would  have  fallen  dead  at  Stanley's  feet.  At 
this  moment  an  Arab,  who  had  approached  from 
behind,  struck  up  the  wretch's  gun  and  exclaimed, 
"Man,  how  dare  you  point  your  gun  at  the  master?" 
This  saved  his  life,  and  perhaps  Stanley's  also. 
It  required  nerves  of  iron  in  a  man  thus  to  stand 
up  all  alone  in  the  heart  of  an  African  forest  sur- 
rounded by  savages  and  defy  them  all,  and  cow 
them  all.  But  the  trouble  was  over,  peace  was 
concluded,  and  the  men  with  one  accord  agreed  to 
go  on.  The  two  instigators  of  this  mutiny  were 
Bombay  and  a  savage,  named  Ambari.  Snatching 
up  a  spear  Stanley  immediately  gave  the  former  a 
terrible  pounding  with  the  handle.  Then  turning 
on  the  latter,  who  stood  looking  on  with  a  mocking 
face,  he  administered  the  same  punishment  to  him, 
after  which  he  put  them  both  in  chains. 

For  the  next  fourteen  days,  nothing  remark- 
able occurred  in  the  march,  which  had  been  in  a 
southwesterly  direction.  Near  a  place  called  Mrera, 


NEWS  OF  A   WHITE  MAN.  1 1-^ 

Stanley,  for  the  first  time  saw  a  herd  of  wild  ele- 
phants, and  was  deeply  impressed  with  their 
lordly  appearance.  Here  Selim  was  taken  sick 
and  the  caravan  halted  for  three  days,  Stanley 
spending  the  interval  in  mending  his  shoes. 

He  now  had  four  districts  to  traverse,  which 
would  occupy  him  twenty-five  days.  Taking  a 
northwesterly  route  having,  as  he  thought,  got 
around  the  country  of  Mirambo,  he  pushed  for- 
ward with  all  speed.  Buffaloes,  leopards  and 
lions  were  encountered;  the  country  was  diversi- 
fied, and  many  of  the  petty  chiefs  grasping  and 
unfriendly,  so  that  it  was  a  constant,  long,  weari- 
some fight  with  obstacles  from  the  beginning  to 
the  end  of  each  week.  But,  on  November  3d, 
a  caravan  of  eighty  came  into  Stanley's  camp 
from  the  westward.  The  latter  asked  the  news. 
They  replied  that  a  white  man  had  just  arrived  at 
Ujiji.     This  was  startling  news  indeed. 

"A  white  man  !'*  exclaimed  Stanley. 

"Yes,  a  white  man." 

"How  is  he  dressed?'' 

"Like  the  master,"  pointing  to  him. 

"  Is  he  young  or  old?" 

"He  is  old,  with  white  hair  on  his  face;  and  tie 
is  sick." 

"Where  has  he  come  from?"  was  the  next 
anxious  inquiry. 

"  From  a  very  far  country,  away  beyond  Uguh- 
ha.*' 


J  CA  ^^  '^^^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

"And  IS  he  now  stopping  at  Ujiji?" 
"  Yes,  we  left  him  there  eight  days  ago." 
'^  How  long  is  he  going  to  stay  there  ?" 
'*  Don't  know/' 

**  Was  he  ever  there  before  ?'' 
"  Yes ;  he  went  away  a  long  time  ago/' 
Stanley  gave  a  shout  of  exultation,  exclaiming: 
"  It  is  Livingstone  !" 

Then  came  the  thought,  it  may  be  some  other 
man.  Perhaps  it  is  Baker,  who  has  worked  his 
way  in  there  before  me.  It  was  a  crushing  thought, 
that  after  all  his  sufferings,  and  sickness,  and  toils, 
he  should  have  been  anticipated,  and  that  there 
was  now  nothing  left  for  him  but  to  march  back 
again.  "  No  !"  he  exclaimed  to  himself:  "  Baker 
has  no  white  hair  on  his  face."  But  he  could  now 
wait  no  longer,  and  turning  to  his  men,  he  asked 
them  if  they  were  willing  to  march  to  Ujiji  with- 
out  a  single  halt.  If  they  were,  he  would,  on 
their  arrival,  present  each  two  doti  of  cloth.  They 
all  shouted,  "  Yes  !"  Stanley  jots  down:  "I  was 
madly  rejoiced,  intensely  eager  to  resolve  the 
burning  question,  *  Is  it  Dr.  Livingstone  ?'  God 
grant  me  patience ;  but  I  do  wish  there  was  a 
railroad,  or  at  least,  horses,  in  this  country.  With 
a  horse  I  could  reach  him  in  twelve  hours." 

But  new  dangers  confronted  him.  The  chiefs 
became  more  exhorbitant  in  their  demands  and 
more  hostile  in  their  demonstrations,  and  but  for 
Stanley's  eagerness  to  get  on,  he  would  more  than 


HASTENING  TO  UJIJI.  jqc 

once  have  fought  his  way  through  some  of  those 
pertinacious  tribes.  But  his  patience,  at  last, 
gave  out,  for  he  was  told  after  he  had  settled  the 
last  tribute  that  there  were  five  more  chiefs  ahead 
who  would  exact  tribute.  This  would  beggar  him, 
and  he  asked  two  natives  if  there  was  no  way  of 
evading  the  next  chief,  named  Wahha. 

"  This  rather  astonished  them  at  first,  and  they 
declared  it  to  be  impossible;  but  finally,  after  be- 
ing  pressed,  they  replied  that  one  of  their  number 
should  guide  us  at  midnight,  or  a  little  after,  into 
the  jungle  which  grew  on  the  frontiers  of  Uhha 
and  Uvinza.  By  ker:ping  a  direct  west  course 
through  this  jungle  until  we  came  to  Ukavanga, 
we  might  be  enabled — we  were  told— to  travel 
through  Uhha  without  further  trouble.  If  I  were 
willing  to  pay  the  guide  twelve  doti,  and  if  I  were 
able  to  impose  silence  on  my  people  while  passing 
through  the  sleeping  village,  the  guide  was  posi- 
tive I  could  reach  Ujiji  without  paying  another 
doti.  It  is  needless  to  add  that  I  accepted  the 
proffered  assistance  at  such  a  price  with  joy. 

"  But  there  was  much  to  be  done.  Provisions 
were  to  be  purchased,  sufficient  to  last  four  days, 
for  the  tramp  through  the  jungle  and  men  were  at 
once  sent  with  cloth  to  purchase  grain  at  any  price. 
Fortune  favored  us,  and  before  8  p.  m.  we  had 
enough  for  six  days. 

"  November  7th. — I  did  not  go  to  sleep  at  all 
last  night,  but  a  little  after  midnight,  as  the  moon 


156 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


was  beginning  to  show  itself,  by  gangs  of  four  the 
men  stole  quietly  out  of  the  village ;  and  by  3  a. 
M.  the  entire  expedition  was  outside  the  bonna 
and  not  the  slightest  alarm  had  been  made.  After 
whistling  to  the  new  guide,  the  expedition  began 
to  move  in  a  southern  direction  along  the  right 
bank  of  the  Kanenzi  River.  After  an  hour's  march 
in  this  direction,  we  struck  west  across  the  grassy 
plain,  and  m^aintained  it,  despite  the  obstacles  we 
encountered  which  were  sore  enough  to  naked 
men.  The  bright  moon  lighted  our  path ;  dark 
clouds  now  and  then  cast  immense  long  shadows 
over  the  deserted  and  silent  plain,  and  the  moon- 
beams were  almost  obscured,  and  at  such  times 
our  position  seemed  awful — 

"  <  Till  the  moon, 
Rising  in  clouded  majesty,  at  length 
Apparent  queen,  unveiled  her  peerless  light, 
And  o'er  the  dark  her  silver  mantle  threw.* 

"Bravely  toiled  the  men,  without  murmur, 
though  their  legs  were  bleeding  from  the  cruel 
grass.  *  Ambrosial  morn '  at  last  appeared,  with 
all  its  beautiful  and  lovely  features.  Heaven  was 
born  anew  to  us,  with  comforting  omens  and 
cheery  promise.  The  men,  though  fatigued  at 
the  unusual  travel,  sped  forward  with  quicker  pace 
as  daylight  broke,  until  at  8  a.  m.  we  sighted  the 
swift  Rusugi  River,  where  a  halt  was  ordered  in 
a  clump  of  jungle  for  breakfast  and  rest.  Both 
banks  of  the  river  were  alive  with  buffalo,  eland 


A  SCREAMING  WOMAN',  jcy 

and  antelope,  but  though  the  sight  was  very  tempt- 
ing, we  did  not  fire,  because  we  dared  not.  The 
report  of  a  gun  would  have  alarmed  the  whole 
country.  I  preferred  my  coffee,  and  the  content- 
ment which  my  mind  experienced  at  our  success. 
*' An  hour  after  we  had  rested,  some  natives  car- 
rying salt  from  the  Malagarazi  were  seen  coming 
up  the  right  bank  of  the  river.  When  abreast  of 
our  hiding-place  they  detected  us,  and  dropping 
their  salt-bags,  they  took  to  their  heels  at  once, 
shouting  out  as  they  ran,  to  alarm  some  villages 
that  appeared  some  four  miles  north  of  us.  The 
men  were  immediately  ordered  to  take  up  their 
loads,  and  in  a  few  minutes  we  had  crossed  the 
Rusugi,  and  were  making  direct  for  a  bamboo 
jungle  that  appeared  in  our  front.  Almost  as 
soon  as  we  entered,  a  weak-brained  woman  raised 
a  series  of  piercing  yells.  The  men  were  appalled 
at  this  noisy  demonstration,  which  would  call  down 
upon  our  heads  the  vengeance  of  the  Wahha  for 
evading  the  tribute,  to  which  they  thought  them- 
selves entitled.  In  half  an  hour  we  should  have 
hundreds  of  howling  savages  about  us  in  the 
jungle,  and  probably  a  general  massacre  would 
ensue.  The  woman  screamed  fearfully  again  and 
again,  for  no  cause  whatever.  Some  of  the  men, 
with  the  instinct  of  self-preservation,  at  once 
dropped  their  bales  and  loads  and  vanished  into 
the  jungle.  The  guide  came  rushing  back  to  me, 
imploring  me  to  stop  her  noise.     The  woman's 


158 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 


husband,  livid  with  rage  and  fear,  drew  his  sword 
and  asked  permission  to  cut  her  head  off  at  once. 
Had  I  given  the  least  signal,  the  woman  had  paid 
with  her  life  for  her  folly.  I  attempted  to  hush 
her  cries  by  putting  my  hand  over  her  mouth,  but 
she  violently  wrestled  with  me,  and  continued  her 
cries  worse  than  ever.  There  remained  nothing 
else  for  me  to  do  but  to  try  the  virtue  of  my  whip 
over  her  shoulders.  I  asked  her  to  desist  after 
the  first  blow.  *No!'  She  continued  her  insane 
cries  with  increased  force  and  volume.  Again  my 
whip  descended  on  her  shoulders.  '  No,  no,  no.' 
Another  blow.  '  Will  you  hush  ?'  '  No,  no,  no,' 
louder  and  louder  she  cried,  and  faster  and  faster 
I  showered  the  blows  for  the  taming  of  this  shrew. 
However,  seeing  I  was  as  determined  to  flog  as 
she  was  to  cry,  she  desisted  before  the  tenth  blow 
and  became  silent.  A  cloth  was  folded  over  her 
mouth,  and  her  arms  were  tied  behind  her ;  and  in 
a  few  moments,  the  runaways  having  returned  to 
their  duty,  the  expedition  moved  forward  again 
with  redoubled  pace.'' 

That  night  they  encamped  at  Lake  Musunya, 
which  swarmed  with  hippopotami.  No  tent  nor 
hut  was  raised,  nor  fire  kindled,  and  Stanley  lay 
down  with  his  rifle  slung  over  his  shoulders,  ready 
to  act  on  a  moment's  notice.  Before  daylight  they 
were  off  again,  and  at  early  dawn  emerged  from 
the  jungle  and  stretched  rapidly  across  a  naked 
plain.     Reaching  the  Rugufa  River,  they  halted 


A  NARRO  W  ESCAPE, 


159 


in  a  deep  shade,  when  suddenly  Stanley  heard  a 
sound  like  distant  thunder.  Asking  one  of  his 
men  if  it  were  thunder,  the  latter  replied  no,  that 
it  was  the  noise  made  by  the  waves  of  Tanganika 
breaking  into  the  caverns  on  its  shore.  Was  he, 
indeed,  so  near  this  great  inland  sea,  of  which  Ujiji 
was  the  chief  harbor  ? 

Pressing  on  three  hours  longer  they  encamped 
in  the  forest.  Two  hours  before  daylight  they 
again  set  out,  the  guide  promising  that  by  next 
morning  they  should  be  clear  of  the  hostile  dis- 
trict. On  this  Stanley  exclaims,  "  Patience,  my 
soul!  A  few  hours  more  and  then  the  end  of  all 
this  will  be  known.  I  shall  be  face  to  face  with 
that  white  man  with  the  white  beard  on  his  face, 
whoever  he  may  be."  Before  daylight  they  started 
again,  and  emerging  from  the  forest  on  to  the 
high  road,  the  guides,  thinking  they  had  passed 
the  last  village  of  the  hostile  tribe,  set  up  a  shout, 
but  soon,  to  their  horror,  came  plump  upon  its 
outskirts.  Fate  seemed  about  to  desert  him  at 
the  last  moment,  for  if  the  village  was  roused  he 
was  a  doomed  man.  Keeping  concealed  amid 
the  trees,  Stanley  ordered  the  goats  to  be  killed 
lest  their  bleating  should  lead  to  discovery,  the 
chickens  to  be  killed  also,  and  then  they  plunged 
into  the  jungle,  Stanley  being  the  last  man  to  fol- 
low. It  was  a  narrow  escape.  After  an  half- 
hour's  march,  finding  they  were  not  pursued,  they 
again  took  to  the  road.     One  more  night  in  the 


1 60  ^^  '^^^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

encampment  and  then  the  end  would  come.  Next 
morning  they  pushed  on  with  redoubled  speed, 
and  in  two  hours,  from  the  top  of  a  mountain 
Stanley,  with  bounding  heart,  beheld  Lake  Tan- 
ganika,  a  vast  expanse  of  burnished  silver,  with 
dark  mountains  around  it  and  the  blue  sky  above 
it.  "  Hurrah,"  shouted  Stanley,  and  the  natives 
took  up  the  shout,  till  the  hills  and  forest  rang 
with  their  exultant  cries.  The  long  struggle  was 
near  over ;  the  goal  toward  which  he  had  been  so 
long  straining  was  almost  won. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

STANLEY    MEETS    LIVINGSTONE. 

STANLEY'S  excitement  at  this  supreme 
moment  of  his  life  can  never  be  described 
or  even  imagined.  When  he  started  from 
Zanzibar,  he  knew  he  had  thrown  the  dice  which 
were  to  fix  his  fate.  Successful,  and  his  fame  was 
secure,  while  failure  meant  death;  and  all  the 
chances  were  against  him.  How  much  he  had 
taken  upon  himself  no  one  but  he  knew;  into  what 
gloomy  gulfs  he  had  looked  before  he  started,  he 
alone  was  conscious.  Of  the  risks  he  ran,  of  the 
narrow  escapes  he  had  made,  of  the  toils  and 
sufferings  he  had  endured,  he  alone  could  form  an 
estimate.  With  the  accumulation  of  difficulties 
and  the  increasing  darkness  of  his  prospects,  the 
one  great  object  of  his  mission  had  increased  in 
importance,  till  great  though  it  was,  it  became 
unnaturally  magnified  so  that,  at  last,  it  filled  all 
his  vision,  and  became  the  one,  the  great,  the  only 
object  in  life  worth  pursuing.  For  it  he  had  risked 
so  much,  toiled  so  long  and  suffered  so  terribly, 
that  the  whole  world,  with  all  its  interests,  was 
secondary  to  it.  Hope  had  given  way  to  disap- 
pointment and  disappointment  yielded  to  despair 
so  often,  that  his  strong  nature  had  got  keyed  up 
II  (i6i) 


I  62  ^^  '^^^^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 

to  a  dangerous  pitch.  But  now  the  reward  was 
near.  Balboa,  when  alone  he  ascended  the  summit 
that  was  to  give  him  a  sight  of  the  great  Pacific 
Ocean,  was  not  more  intensely  excited  than  was 
Stanley  when  he  labored  up  the  steep  mountain 
that  should  give  him  a  view  of  the  Tanganika. 

The  joy,  the  exultation  of  that  moment,  out- 
balanced a  life  of  common  happiness.  It  was  a 
feeling  that  lifts  the  soul  into  a  region  where  our 
common  human  nature  never  goes,  and  it  becomes 
a  memory  that  influences  and  shapes  the  character 
forever.  Such  a  moment  of  ecstasy- — of  perfect 
satisfaction — of  exultant,  triumphant  feeling  that 
asks  nothing  better — that  brings  perfect  rest  with 
the  highest  exaltation,  can  happen  to  any  man  but 
once  in  a  life-time.  To  attempt  to  give  any  de- 
scription of  this  culmination  of  all  his  effort,  and 
longing,  and  ambition,  except  in  his  own  words, 
would  be  not  only  an  act  of  injustice  to  him,  but 
to  the  reader. 

The  descent  to  Ujiji  and  the  interview  with  Liv- 
ingstone is  full  of  dramatic  interest  and  the  de- 
scription of  it  should  not  be  made  by  a  third  party, 
for  to  attempt  to  improve  on  it  would  be  presump- 
tion and  would  end  only  in  failure.  We,  therefore, 
give  it  in  Mr.  Stanley's  own  words,  that  glow  with 
vivid  life  from  beginning  to  end,  and  this  shall  be 
his  chapter: 

"We  are  descending  the  western  slope  of  the 
mountain,  with  the  valley  of  the  Linche  before  us. 


uyiyi  IN  SIGHT.  1 6-^ 

Something  like  an  hour  before  noon  we  have 
gained  the  thick  matite  brake,  which  grows  on  both 
banks  of  the  river;  we  wade  through  the  clear 
stream,  arrive  on  the  other  side,  emerge  out  of  the 
brake,  and  the  gardens  of  the  Wajiji  are  around 
us — a  perfect  marvel  of  vegetable  wealth.  Details 
escape  my  hasty  and  partial  observation.  I  am 
almost  overpowered  with  my  own  emotion.  I 
notice  the  graceful  palms,  neat  plats,  green  with 
vegetable  plants,  and  small  villages,  surrounded 
with  frail  fences  of  the  matite  cane. 

"We  push  on  rapidly,  lest  the  news  of  our 
coming  might  reach  the  people  of  Bunder  Ujiji 
before  we  come  in  sight  and  are  ready  for  them. 
We  halt  at  a  little  brook,  then  ascend  the  long 
slope  of  a  naked  ridge,  the  very  last  of  the  my- 
riads we  have  crossed.  This  alone  prevents  us 
from  seeing  the  lake  in  all  its  vastness.  We  ar- 
rive at  the  summit,  travel  across  and  arrive  at  its 
western  rim,  and — pause,  reader — the  port  of 
Ujiji  is  below  us,  embowered  in  the  palms,  only 
five  hundred  yards  from  us.  At  this  grand  mo- 
ment we  do  not  think  of  the  hundreds  of  miles 
we  have  marched,  of  the  hundreds  of  hills  we 
have  ascended  and  descended,  of  the  many  forests 
we  have  traversed,  of  the  jungles  and  thickets 
that  annoyed  us,  of  the  fervid  salt  plains  that 
blistered  our  feet,  of  the  hot  suns  that  scorched 
us,  nor  the  dangers  and  difficulties  now  happily 
surmounted.      At  last  the  sublime  hour  has  ar- 


1 64 


IN  THE   WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


rived!  our  dreams,  our  hopes,  our  anticipations 
are  about  to  be  realized.  Our  hearts  and  our 
feehngs  are  with  our  eyes,  as  we  peer  into  the 
palms  auxl  try  to  make  out  in  which  hut  or  house 
lives  the  'white  man,  with  the  gray  beard,  we  heard 
about  on  the  Malagarazi. 

"*  Unfurl  the  flags  and  load  the  guns/ 

*''Ay,  Wallah,  ay,  Wallah,  bana!'  responded 
the  men,  eagerly. 

"*  One — two — threv — fire.' 

"A  volley  from  nearly  fifty  guns  roars  like  a 
salute  from  a  battery  of  artillery;  we  shall  note 
its  effect,  presently,  on  the  peaceful-looking  village 
below. 

"*Now,  Kirangozi,  held  the  white  man's  flag  up 
high,  and  let  the  Zanzibar  flag  bring  up  the  rear. 
And  you  men  keep  cloae  together,  and  keep  firing 
until  we  halt  in  the  market-place,  or  before  the 
white  man's  house.  You  have  said  to  me  often 
that  you  could  smelt  the  fish  of  the  Tanganika. 
I  can  smell  the  fish  of  die  Tanganika  now.  The  re 
are  fish,  and  beer,  and  a  long  rest  awaiting  for 
you.     March  !' 

"  Before  we  had  gone  one  hundred  yards  our 
repeated  volleys  had  the  desired  effect.  We  had 
awakened  Ujiji  to  the  fact  that  a  caravan  was 
coming,  and  the  people  were  witnessed  running 
up  in  hundreds  to  meet  us.  The  mere  sight  of 
the  flags  informed  every  one  immediately  that  we 
were  a  caravan,  but  the  American   flag,   borne 


THE  VILLAGE  ENTERED. 


165 


aloft  by  the  gigantic  Asmani,  whose  face  was  one 
broad  smile  on  this  day,  rather  staggered  them 
at  first.  However,  many  of  the  people  who  now 
approached  us  remembered  the  flag.  They  had 
seen  it  float  above  the  American  consulate,  and 
from  the  mast-heads  of  many  a  ship  in  the  har- 
bor of  Zanzibar,  and  they  were  soon  heard  wel- 
coming the  beautiful  flag  with  cries  of  '  Bindera 
Kisungu  !' — a  white  man's  flag !  '  Bindera  Meri- 
cani !' — the  American  flag !  These  cries  resounded 
on  all  sides. 

"Then  we  were  surrounded  by  them — by 
Wajiji,  Wanyamzi,  Wangwana,  Warundi,  Waguh- 
ha,  Wamanyuema  and  Arabs,  and  were  almost 
deafended  with  the  shout  of  'Yambo,  yambo, 
bona  !  Yambo  bona,  Yambo  bona,  Yambo  bona  !' 
To  all  and  each  of  my  men  the  welcome  was  given. 

"We  were  now  about  three  hundred  yards 
from  the  village  of  Ujiji,  and  the  crowds  are  dense 
about  me.  Suddenly  I  hear  a  voice  on  my  right 
say :     *  Good  morning,  sir !' 

"  Startled  at  hearing  this  greeting  in  the  midst 
of  such  a  crowd  of  black  people,  I  turn  sharply 
around  in  search  of  the  man,  and  see  him  at  my 
side  with  the  blackest  of  faces,  but  animated  and 
joyous — a  man  dressed  in  a  long  white  shirt, 
with  a  turban  of  American  sheeting  around  his 
woolly  head,  and  I  ask  :  '  Who  the  mischief  are 
you  ?' 

"'I  am  Susi,  the  servant  of  Dr.  Livingstone/ 


1 66 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 


said  he,  smiling  and  showing  a  gleaming  row  of 
teeth. 

"'What!  is  Dr.  Livingstone  here?' 

<^' Yes,  sir/ 

"'In  this  village?' 

"'Yes,  sir/ 

*^' Are  you  sure?'  : 

"'Sure,  sure,  sir.     Why  I  just  left  him.' 

"'Good-morning,  sir,'  said  another  voice. 

"'Hallo,'  said  I,  'is  this  another  one?' 

"'Yes,  sir.' 

"'Well,  what  is  your  name  ?' 

"'  My  name  is  Chumah,  sir.' 

"'What  are  you,  Chumah,  the  friend  of  Weko-. 
tani  ?' 

"'Yes,  sir.' 

" '  And  is  the  doctor  well  ?' 

'"  Not  very  well,  sir.' 

"'Where  has  he  been  so  long? 

'"In  Manyuema.' 

" '  Now  you,  Susi,  run  and  tell  the  doctor  I  am 
coming.' 

"'Yes,  sir,'  and  off  he  darted  like  a  madman. 

"  By  this  time  we  were  within  two  hundred 
yards  of  the  village,  and  the  multitude  was  getting 
denser,  and  almost  preventing  our  march.  Flags 
and  streamers  were  out ;  Arabs  and  Wangwana 
were  pushing  their  way  through  the  natives  in 
order  to  greet  us,  for  according  to  their  account 
we  belonged  to  them.     But  the  great  wonder  of 


THE  DOCTOR  AT  HAND. 


167 


all  was,  ^  How  did  you  come  from  Unyanyem- 
be?' 

*'  Soon  Susi  came  running  back  and  asked  me 
my  name ;  he  had  told  the  doctor  that  I  was  com- 
ing, but  the  doctor  was  too  surprised  to  believe 
him,  and  when  the  doctor  asked  him  my  name 
Susi  was  rather  staggered. 

"  But  during  Susi's  absence  the  news  had  been 
conveyed  to  the  doctor  that  it  was  surely  a  white 
man  that  was  coming,  whose  guns  were  firing  and 
•  whose  flag  could  be  seen ;  and  the  great  Arab 
magnates  of  Ujiji — Mohammed  bin  Sali,  Sayd  bin 
Majid,  Abid  bin  Suliman,  Mohammed  bin  Gharib 
and  others — had  gathered  together  before  the  doc- 
tor's house,  and  the  doctor  had  come  out  on  his  ve- 
randa to  discuss  the  matter  and  await  my  arrival. 

''  In  the  meantime,  the  head  of  the  expedition 
had  halted  and  the  Kirangozi  were  out  of  the 
ranks,  holding  the  flag  aloft,  and  Selim  said  to  me, 
'I  see  the  doctor,  sir.  Oh,  what  an  old  man! 
He  has  got  a  white  beard/  And  I — what  would 
I  not  have  given  for  a  bit  of  friendly  wilderness 
where,  unseen,  I  might  vent  my  joy  in  some  mad 
freak,  such  as  idiotically  biting  my  hand,  turning 
a  somersault,  or  slashing  some  trees,  in  order  to 
allay  those  exciting  feelings  that  were  well-nigh 
uncontrollable.  My  heart  beats  fast,  but  I  must 
not  let  my  face  betray  my  emotions,  lest  it  shall 
detract  from  the  dignity  of  a  white  man  appear- 
ing under  such  extraordinary  circumstances. 


J  53  IN  THE   WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

"  So  I  did  that  which  I  thought  was  most  digni. 
fied,  I  pushed  back  the  crowds,  and,  passing  from 
the  rear,  walked  down  a  Hving  avenue  of  people 
until  I  came  in  front  of  the  semi-circle  of  Arabs, 
in  front  of  which  stood  the  white  man  with  the 
gray  beard.  As  I  advanced  slowly  toward  him  I 
noticed  he  was  pale,  looked  wearied,  had  a  gray 
beard,  wore  a  bluish  cap  with  a  faded  gold  band 
around  it,  had  on  a  red-sleeved  waistcoat  and  a 
pair  of  gray  tweed  trousers.  I  would  have  run  to 
him,  only  I  was  a  coward  in  such  a  mob — would 
have  embraced  him,  only,  he  being  an  English- 
man, I  did  not  know  how  he  would  receive  me ; 
so  I  did  what  cowardice  and  false  pride  suggested 
was  the  best  thing — walked  deliberately  to  him, 
took  off  my  hat  and  said,  *  Dr.  Livingstone,  I  pre- 
sume?* 

"  *  Yes,**  said  he,  with  a  kind  smile,  lifting  his 
hat  slightly. 

"  I  replace  my  cap  on  my  head,  and  he  puts  on 
his  cap,  and  we  both  grasp  hands,  and  then  I  say 
aloud :  '  I  thank  God,  doctor,  I  have  been  per- 
mitted to  see  you.* 

"He  answered:  *I  feel  thankful  I  am  here  to 
welcome  you.' 

"I  turned  to  the  Arabs,  took  off  my  hat  to  them 
in  response  to  the  saluting  chorus  of  'Yambos.* 
I  receive,  and  the  doctor  introduces  them  to  me  by 
name.  Then  oblivious  of  the  crowds,  oblivious  of 
the  men  who  shared  with  me  my  dangers,  we-— 


THE  LOST  FOUND. 


171 


Livingstone  and  I — turn  our  faces  toward  his 
tembe.  He  points  to  the  veranda,  or  rather  mud 
platform,  under  the  broad  over-hanging  eaves ;  he 
points  to  his  own  particular  seat,  which  I  see  his 
age  and  experience  in  Africa  have  suggested, 
namely,  a  straw  mat  with  a  goat-skin  over  it,  and 
another  skin  nailed  against  the  wall  to  protect  his 
back  from  contact  with  the  cold  mud.  I  protest 
against  taking  this  seat,  which  so  much  more  befits 
him  than  me,  but  the  doctor  will  not  yield:  I  must 
take  it. 

"We  are  seated — the  doctor  and  I — with  our 
backs  to  the  wall.  The  Arabs  take  seats  on  our 
left.  More  than  a  thousand  natives  are  in  our 
front,  filling  the  whole  square  densely,  indulging 
their  curiosity  and  discussing  the  fact  of  two  white 
men  meeting  at  Ujiji — one  just  come  from  Manyu- 
ema,  in  the  west,  the  other  from  Unyanyembe,  in 
the  east 

"  Conversation  began.  What  about?  I  declare 
I  have  forgotten.  Oh!  we  mutually  asked  ques- 
tions of  one  another,  such  as :  'How  did  you  come 
here?'  and  'Where  have  you  been  all  this  long 
time?  the  world  has  believed  you  to  be  dead.' 
Yes,  that  was  the  way  it  began;  but  whatever  the 
doctor  informed  me,  and  that  which  I  communi- 
cated to  him,  I  cannot  exactly  report,  for  I  found' 
myself  gazing  at  him,  conning  the  wonderful  man, 
at  whose  side  I  now  sat  in  Central  Africa.  Every 
hair  of  bis  head  and  beard,  every  wrinkle  of  his 


1^2  ^^  ^-^^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

face,  the  wanness  of  his  features,  and  the  slightly 
wearied  look  he  wore,  were  all  imparting  intelli- 
gence to  me — the  knowledge  I  craved  for  so  much 
ever  since  I  heard  the  words,  'Take  what  you 
want,  but  find  Livingstone/  What  I  saw  was 
deeply  interesting  intelligence  to  me,  and  unvar- 
nished truths  I  was  listening  and  reading  at  the 
same  time.  What  did  these  dumb  witnesses  relate 
to  me? 

"Oh,  reader,  had  you  been  at  my  side  that  day 
at  Ujiji,  how  eloquently  could  be  told  the  nature 
of  this  man's  work !  Had  you  been  there  but  to 
see  and  hear!  His  lips  gave  me  the  details  ;  lips 
that  never  lie.  I  cannot  repeat  what  he  said;  I 
was  too  much  engrossed  to  take  my  note-book 
out  and  begin  to  stenograph  his  story.  He  had 
so  much  to  say  that  he  began  at  the  end,  seemingly 
oblivious  of  the  fact  that  five  or  six  years  had  to 
be  accounted  for.  But  his  account  was  oozing 
out;  it  was  growing  fast  into  grand  proportions — 
into  a  most  marvelous  history  of  deeds. 

"  The  Arabs  rose  up  with  a  delicacy  I  approved, 
as  if  they  intuitively  knew  that  we  ought  to  be  left 
to  ourselves.  I  sent  Bombay  with  them  to  give 
them  the  news  they  also  wanted  so  much  to  know 
about  the  affairs  at  Unyanyembe.  Sayd  bin  Majid 
was  the  father  of  the  gallant  young  man  whom  I 
saw  at  Masange,  and  who  fought  with  me  at  Zim- 
bizo,  and  who  soon  afterwards  was  killed  by 
Mirambo's  Ruga — Ruga  in  the  forest  of  Wilyan- 


OPENING  HIS  MAIL.  I  y^ 

kuru;  and  knowing  I  had  been  there,  he  earnestly 
desired  to  hear  the  tale  of  the  fight;  but  they  all 
had  friends  at  Unyanyembe,  and  it  was  but  natural 
that  they  should  be  anxious  to  hear  of  what  con- 
cerned them. 

"After  giving  orders  to  Bombay  and  Asmani 
for  the  provisioning  of  the  m.en  of  the  expedition, 
I  called  'Kaif-Halek/  or  'how  do  ye  do/  and 
introduced  him  to  Dr.  Livingstone  as  one  of  the 
soldiers  in  charge  of  certain  goods  left  at  Unyan- 
yembe, whom  I  had  compelled  to  accompany  me 
to  Ujiji  that  he  might  deliver  in  person  to  his 
master,  the  letter-bag  he  had  been  intrusted  with 
by  Dr.  Kirk. 

''This  was  the  famous  letter-bag  marked  'Nov. 
1st,  1 8  70,' which  was  now  delivered  into  the  doctor's 
hands,  three  hundred  and  sixty-five  days  after  it 
left  Zanzibar!  How  long,  I  wonder,  had  it  re- 
mained at  Unyanyembe,  had  I  not  been  dispatched 
into  Central  Africa  in  search  of  the  great  traveler? 

"The  doctor  kept  the  letter- bag  on  his  knee, 
then,  presently,  opened  it,  looked  at  the  letters 
contained  there  and  read  one  or  two  of  his  chil- 
dren's letters,  his  face,  in  the  meanwhile,  lighting 
up. 

"  He  asked  me  to  tell  him  the  news.  *  No,  doc- 
tor,' said  I,  '  read  your  letters  first,  which,  I  am 
sure,  you  must  be  impatient  to  read.' 

"*Ah,'  said  he,  'I  have  waited  years  for  letters, 
and  I  have  been  taught  patience.     I  can  surely 


J  7  j^  IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

afiford  to  wait  a  few  hours  longer.  No ;  tell  me 
the  general  news ;  how  is  the  world  getting 
along  ?' 

"'You  probably  know  much  already.  Do  you 
know  that  the  Suez  Canal  is  a  fact — is  opened 
and  a  regular  trade  carried  on  between  Europe 
and  India  through  it  ?' 

"  *  I  did  not  hear  about  the  opening  of  it.  Well, 
that  is  grand  news  !     What  else  ?' 

"  Shortly  I  found  myself  enacting  the  part  of  an 
annual  periodical  to  him.  There  was  no  need  of 
exaggeration — of  any  penny-a-line  news,  or  of 
any  sensationalism.  The  world  had  witnessed 
and  experienced  much  the  last  few  years.  The 
Pacific  Railroad  had  been  completed  ;  Grant  had 
been  elected  President  of  the  United  States ; 
Egypt  had  been  flooded  with  savans ;  the  Cretan 
rebellion  had  terminated;  a  Spanish  revolution 
had  driven  Isabella  from  the  throne  of  Spain,  and 
a  regent  had  been  appointed ;  General  Prim  was 
assassinated ;  a  Castelar  had  electrified  Europe 
with  his  advanced  ideas  upon  the  liberty  of  wor- 
ship ;  Prussia  had  humbled  Denmark  and  annexed 
Schleswig-Holstein,  and  her  armies  were  now 
around  Paris  ;  the  '  Man  of  Destiny '  was  a  pris- 
oner at  Wilhelmshohe  ;  the  queen  of  fashion  and 
the  empress  of  the  French  was  a  fugitive  ;  and  the 
child  born  in  the  purple  had  lost  forever  the  im- 
perial crown  intended  for  its  head ;  the  Napoleon 
dynasty  was  extinguished  by  the  Prussians,  Bis- 


TALKING  AND  EA  TING.  I  ^  t- 

marck  and  Von  Moltke,  and  France,  the  proud 
empire,  was  humbled  to  the  dust* 

"  What  could  a  man  have  exaggerated  of  these 
facts  ?  What  a  budget  of  news  it  was  to  one  who 
had  emerged  from  the  depths  of  the  primeval 
forests  of  Manyuema  !  The  reflection  of  the  daz- 
zling light  of  civilization  was  cast  on  him  while 
Livingstone  was  thus  listening  in  wonder  to  one 
of  the  most  exciting  passages  of  history  ever  re- 
peated. How  the  puny  deeds  of  barbarism  paled 
before  these !  Who  could  tell  under  what  new 
phases  of  uneasy  life  Europe  was  laboring  even 
then,  while  we  two  of  her  lonely  children  rehearsed 
the  tale  of  her  late  woes  and  glories?  More 
worthily,  perhaps,  had  the  tongue  of  a  lyric  De- 
•modocus  recounted  them;  but  in  the  absence  of 
the  poet,  the  newspaper  correspondent  performed 
his  part  as  well  and  truthfully  as  he  could. 

"  Not  long  after  the  Arabs  had  departed,  a 
dishful  of  hot  hashed-meat  cakes  was  sent  to  us 
by  Sayd  bin  Majid,  and  a  curried  chicken  was 
received  from  Mohammed  bin  Sali,  and  Moeni 
Kheri  sent  a  dishful  of  stewed  goat  meat  and  rice ; 
and  thus  presents  of  food  came  in  succession,  and 
as  fast  as  they  were  brought  we  set  to.  I  had  a 
healthy,  stubborn  digestion,  the  exercise  I  had 
taken  had  put  it  in  prime  order,  but  Livingstone 
— he  had  been  complaining  that  he  had  no  appe- 
tite, that  his  stomach  refused  everything  but  a  cup 
of  tea  now  and  then — he  ate  also— ate  like  a  vigor- 


176 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 


ous,  hungry  man ;  and  as  he  vied  with  me  in  de 
molishing  the  pancakes,  he  kept  repeating,  '  You 
have  brought  me  new  Hfe/ 

"  *  Oh,  by  George,'  I  said,  '  I  have  forgotten 
something.  Hasten,  SeHm,  and  bring  that  bottle ; 
you  know  which;  and  bring  me  the  silver  goblets. 
I  brought  this  bottle  on  purpose  for  this  event, 
which  I  hoped  would  come  to  pass,  though  often 
it  seemed  useless  to  expect  it/ 

**Selim  knew  where  the  bottle  was,  and  he  soon 
returned  with  it — a  bottle  of  Sillery  champagne; 
and,  handing  the  doctor  a  silver  goblet  brimful  of 
the  exhilarating  wine,  and  pouring  a  small  quantity 
into  my  own,  I  said:  *Dr.  Livingstone,  to  your 
very  good  health,  sir/ 

"*  And  to  yours,'  he  responded. 

"And  the  champagne  I  had  treasured  for  this 
happy  meeting  was  drank  with  hearty  good  wishes 
to  each  other. 

"  But  we  kept  on  talking  and  talking,  and  pre- 
pared food  was  brought  to  us  all  that  afternoon, 
and  we  kept  on  eating  every  time  it  was  brought 
until  I  had  eaten  even  to  repletion,  and  the 
doctor  was  obliged  to  confess  that  he  had  eaten 
enough.  Still,  Halimah,  the  female  cook  of  the 
doctor's  establishment,  was  in  a  state  of  the 
greatest  excitement.  She  had  been  protruding 
her  head  out  of  the  cook-house,  to  make  sure  that 
there  were  really  two  white  men  sitting  down  in 
the  veranda,  when  there  used  to  be  only  one,  who 


A  LONG  TALK,  I  77 

would  not,  because  he  could  not,  eat  anything; 
and  she  had  been  considerably  exercised  in  her 
mind  over  this  fact.  She  was  afraid  the  doctor 
did  not  properly  appreciate  her  culinary  abilities ; 
but  now  she  was  amazed  at  the  extraordinary 
quantity  of  food  eaten,  and  she  was  in  a  state  of 
delightful  excitement.  We  could  hear  her  tongue 
rolling  off  a  tremendous  volume  of  clatter  to  the 
wondering  crowds  who  halted  before  the  kitchen 
to  hear  the  current  of  news  with  which  she  edified 
them.  Poor,  faithful  soul  While  we  hsten  to  the 
noise  of  her  furious  gossip,  the  doctor  related  her 
faithful  services  and  the  terrible  anxiety  she  evinced 
when  the  guns  first  announced  the  arrival  of 
another  white  man  in  Ujiji ;  how  she  had  been  fly- 
ing about  in  a  state  of  the  utmost  excitement,  from 
the  kitchen  into  his  presence,  and  out  again  into 
the  square,  asking  all  sorts  of  questions ;  how  she 
was  in  despair  at  the  scantiness  of  the  general 
larder  and  treasury  of  the  strange  household ;  how 
she  was  anxious  to  make  up  for  their  poverty  by 
a  grand  appearance — to  make  up  a  sort  of  Bar- 
mecide feast  to  welcome  the  white  man. 

♦'  *  Why,*  said  she,  '  is  he  not  one  of  us  ?  Does 
he  not  bring  plenty  of  cloth  and  beads  ?  Talk 
about  the  Arabs  !  Who  are  they,  that  they  should 
be  compared  to  white  men  ?     Arabs,  indeed  !' 

"  The  doctor  and  I  conversed  upon  many  things, 
especially  upon  his  own  immediate  troubles,  and 
his  disappointment  upon  his  arrival  at  Ujiji  when 
12 


178 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


told  that  all  his  goods  had  been  sold,  and  he  was 
reduced  to  poverty.  He  had  but  twenty  cloths  or 
so  left  of  the  stock  he  had  deposited  with  the  man 
called  sheriff,  the  half-caste,  drunken  tailor,  who 
was  sent  by  the  British  consul  in  charge  of  the 
goods.  Besides  which  he  had  been  suffering  from 
an  attack  of  the  dysentery,  and  his  condition  was 
most  deplorable.  He  was  but  little  improved  on 
this  day,  though  he  had  eaten  well,  and  already 
began  to  feel  stronger  and  better. 

"This  day,  like  all  others,  though  big  with  happi- 
ness to  me,  at  last,  was  fading  away.  We,  sitting 
with  our  faces  looking  to  the  east,  as  Livingstone 
had  been  sitting  for  days  preceding  my  arrival, 
noted  the  dark  shadow  which  crept  up  above  the 
grove  of  palms  beyond  the  village,  and  above  the 
rampart  of  mountains  which  we  had  crossed  that 
day,  now  looming  through  the  fast-approaching 
darkness ;  and  we  listened,  with  our  hearts  full  of 
ofratitude  to  the  o^reat  Giver  of  Good  and  Dis- 
penser  of  all  Happiness  to  the  sonorous  thunder 
of  the  surf  of  the  Tanganika,  and  to  the  chorus 
which  the  night  insects  sang.  Hours  passed,  and 
we  were  still  sitting  there  with  our  minds  busy 
upon  the  day's  remarkable  events,  when  I  remem- 
bered  that  the  venerable  traveler  had  not  yet  read 
his  letters. 

*' '  Doctor,'  I  said,  '  you  had  better  read  your 
letters.     I  will  not  keep  you  up  any  longer.' 

"*Yes/  he  answered,  'it  is  getting  late.,  and  I 


AMBITION  SA  TISFIED.  I  7  g 

will  go  and  read  my  friends*  letters.  Good-night, 
and  God  bless  you/ 

" '  Good-night,  my  dear  doctor,  and  let  me  hope 
your  news  will  be  such  as  you  desire/ '' 

Since  the  creation  of  the  world  there  never  has 
occurred  such  another  interview.  The  feelings 
of  Stanley  that  night,  in  the  heart  of  Africa,  can 
only  be  imagined.  The  strain  had  ended,  the 
doubt  and  suspense  were  over — he  had  found 
Livingstone  !  he  had  succeeded ;  his  most  extrava- 
gant dreams  had  been  realized ;  his  wildest  am- 
bition was  satisfied,  and  from  that  hour  the 
adventurer,  the  newspaper  correspondent,  took 
his  place  among  the  great  explorers  of  the  world. 
But  it  was  no  stroke  of  luck, — it  was  the  fitting 
reward  of  great  risks  and  great  endeavor. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Stanley's  homeward  march. 

REST  and  repose  were  now  enjoyed  to  the 
full  by  Stanley.  His  long  struggles,  his 
doubts  and  fears,  his  painful  anxiety  were 
over,  and  the  end  toward  which  he  had  strained 
with  such  unflagging  resolution,  the  most  dis- 
heartening circumstances,  and  which  at  times 
seemed  to  recede  the  more  as  he  pressed  forward, 
was  at  last  reached.  The  sweet  repose,  the  calm 
satisfaction  and  enjoyment  which  always  come 
with  the  consciousness  of  complete  success,  now 
filled  his  heart,  and  he  felt  as  none  can  feel  but 
he  who  has  at  last  won  a  long  and  doubtful  battle. 
It  was  complete  rest,  the  entire  fruition  of  his 
hopes ;  and  as  he  sat  down  there  in  the  heart  of 
Africa,  beside  Livingstone,  he  was  doubtless  for 
at  least  the  first  few  days,  the  happiest  man  on 
the  globe,  and  well  he  deserved  to  be.  The  goal 
was  won,  the  prize  secured,  and  for  the  time  being 
his  utmost  desires  were  satisfied.  Why  should 
he  not  be  happy? 

His  intercourse  with  Livingstone  for  the  next 
four  months  will  be  marked  by  him  as  the  bright- 
est portion  of  his  eventful  life.  Independent  of 
all  he  had  undergone  to  find  this  remarkable  man, 

(i8o) 


SWEET  CONVERSE.  jgj 

the  man  himself  enlisted  all  his  sympathies  and 
awakened  his  most  extravagant  admiration  and 
purest  love,  and  a  more  charming  picture  can 
hardly  be  conceived  than  these  two  men,  walking 
at  sunset  along  the  beach  of  the  wild  and  lonely 
lake  of  Tanganika,  talking  over  the  strange  scenes 
and  objects  of  their  strange,  new  world,  or  recall- 
ing home  and  friends  far  away  amid  all  the  com- 
forts and  luxuries  of  civilization.  The  man  whom 
Stanley  had  at  last  found  was  almost  as  new  and 
startling  a  revelation  to  him  as  the  country  in 
which  he  had  found  him.  Simple,  earnest,  un- 
selfish — nay,  unambitious,  so  far  as  personal  fame 
was  concerned,  borne  up  in  all  his  sufferings  and 
trials  by  one  great  and  noble  purpose,  and  con- 
quering even  savage  hate  by  the  power  of  good- 
ness alone,  he  was  an  object  of  the  prcfoundest 
interest.  And  no  greater  eulogium  on  the  innate 
goodness  and  nobleness  of  Stanley's  nature  could 
be  given  than  he  unconsciously  bestowed  on  him- 
self  by  the  deep  attachment,  nay,  almost  adoration, 
he  expresses  for  this  lonely,  quiet,  good  man.  He 
fastens  to  him  at  once,  and  casting  off  old  preju- 
dices and  rejecting  all  former  criticisms  of  his 
character,  he  impulsively  becomes  his  champion, 
and  crowns  him  the  prince  of  men. 

The  talk  between  them  at  their  first  meeting  in 
this  far-off  land,  was  long  and  pleasant,  and  when 
the  good-night  was  given,  it  was  with  strange 
feelings  that  Stanley  turned  into  his  allotted  sleep- 


1 82  IN  THE   WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 

ing  place  in  a  regular  bed.  After  all  the  toils  and 
almost  unnatural  excitement  of  the  day,  he  soon 
sank  into  profound  slumber.  The  next  morning 
he  awoke  with  a  start,  and  looked  about  him  for 
a  moment  in  a  dazed  way.  He  was  not  on  the 
ground,  but  in  a  bed;  a  roof,  not  a  tent,  was 
above  him,  while  not  a  sound  broke  the  stillness 
save  the  steady,  monotonous  roar  of  the  surf  beat- 
ing on  the  shore.  As  he  lay  and  listened,  strange 
thoughts  and  varied  emotions  chased  each  other 
in  rapid  succession  through  his  heart.  At  length 
he  arose  and  dressed  himself,  intending  before 
breakfast  to  take  a  stroll  along  the  shore  of  the 
lake.  But  the  doctor  was  up  before  him  and  met 
him  with  a  cordial  "  Good-morning,''  and  the  hope 
that  he  had  rested  well. 

Livingstone  had  sat  up  late  reading  the  news 
that  Stanley  had  brought  him  from  the  outside 
world,  from  which  he  had  heard  nothing  for  years. 

"Sit  down,"  said  the  venerable  man,  "you  have 
brought  me  good  and  bad  news,''  and  then  he 
repeated,  first  of  all,  the  tidings  he  had  received 
from  his  children. 

In  the  excitement  of  the  day  before,  the  doctor 
had  forgotten  to  inquire  of  Stanley  the  object  of 
his  coming,  or  where  he  was  going,  and  the  latter 
now  said :  "  Doctor,  you  are  probably  wondering 
why  I  came  here." 

"  It  is  true,"  was  the  reply,  "  I  have  been  won- 
dering." 


LIVINGSTONE'S  SURPRISE. 


183 


That  wonder  was  increased  when  Stanley  said : 
"  I  came  after  you,  nothing  else." 

''After  me!"  exclaimed  the  now  utterly  bewil- 
dered man. 

"  Yes,"  said  Stanley,  "  after  you.  I  suppose 
you  have  heard  of  the  New  York  Herald  f 

"  Yes,"  said  the  doctor. 

"Well,  Mr.  Bennett,  son  of  the  proprietor,  sent 
me,  at  his  own  expense,  to  find  you." 

Poor  Livingstone  could  hardly  comprehend  the 
fact  that  an  American,  and  a  stranger,  should  ex- 
pend $25,000  to  find  him,  a  solitary  Englishman. 

Stanley  lived  now  some  four  months  in  the 
closest  intimacy  with  Livingstone.  Removed  from 
all  the  formalities  of  civilized  life — the  only  two 
in  that  far-off  land  who  could  converse  in  the  Eng- 
lish language,  and  who  were  of  the  same  lineage 
and  faith — their  relations  of  necessity  became 
very  intimate.  All  restraint  was  thrown  off,  and 
this  noble  man  pourfed  into  the  astonished  ears 
of  Stanley  all  he  had  thought,  prayed  for,  endured 
and  suffered  for  the  last  long  five  years.  It  was  a 
new  revelation  to  his  hearer.  It  opened  up  a  new 
world ;  gave  him  a  new  and  loftier  conception  of 
what  human  nature  is  capable  of  attaining,  and  he 
says :  "  I  had  gone  over  battle-fields,  witnessed 
revolutions,  civil  wars,  rebellions,  emeutes  and 
massacres;  stood  close  to  the  condemned  mur- 
derer to  record  his  last  struggles  and  last  sighs  ; 
but  never  had  I  been  called  to  record  anything 


1 84 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 


that  moved  me  so  much  as  this  man's  woes  and 
sufferings,  his  privations  and  disappointments, 
which  were  now  poured  into  my  ear.  Verily  did 
I  begin  to  beHeve  that  '  the  gods  above  us  do  with 
just  e3^es  survey  the  affairs  of  men/  I  began  to 
recoofnize  the  hand  of  an  overruHnor  Providence." 

After  resting  for  a  week,  during  which  time 
Stanley  became  thoroughly  acquainted  with  Liv- 
ingstone and  learned  to  respect  and  love  him 
more  and  more,  the  former  asked  the  doctor  if  he 
would  not  like  to  explore  the  north  end  of  the 
Tanganika  Lake  and  among  other  things,  settle 
the  question  whether  the  Rusizi  River  flowed  into 
or  out  of  the  lake.  The  doctor  gladly  consented, 
and  they  set  off  in  a  canoe  manned  by  sixteen 
rowers.  The  weather  was  fine,  the  scenery  charm- 
ing, and  it  seemed  like  floating  through  a  fairy- 
land. Day  after  day  they  kept  on — landing  at 
night  on  the  picturesque  shores,  undisturbed, 
except  in  one  or  two  instances,  by  the  natives. 
The  luxuriant  banks  v/ere  lined  with  villages,  filled 
with  an  indolent,  contented  people.  With  no 
wants  except  food  to  eat,  and  the  lake  full  of  fish, 
they  had  nothing  to  stimulate  them  to  activity  or 
effort  of  any  kind. 

Islands  came  and  went,  mountains  rose  and 
faded  on  the  horizon,  and  it  was  one  long  holiday 
to  our  two  explorers.  As  the  rowers  bent  steadily 
to  their  oars  and  the  canoe  glided  sofdy  through 
the  rippling  waters,  they  spent  the  time  in  ad- 


HOMEWARD  BOUND. 


187 


miring  the  beautiful  scenery  that  kept  changing 
like  a  kaleidoscope,  or  talking  of  home  and  friends 
and  the  hopes  and  prospects  of  the  future.  A 
hippopotamus  would  now  and  then  startle  them 
by  his  loud  snort,  as  he  suddenly  lifted  his  head 
near  the  boat  to  breathe,  wild  fowl  skittered  away 
as  they  approached,  a  sweet  fragrance  came  down 
from  the  hill-sides,  and  the  tropical  sky  bent  soft 
and  blue  above  them.  The  conventionalities  of 
life  were  far  away  and  all  was  calm  and  peaceful, 
and  seemed  to  Stanley  more  like  a  dream  than  a 
reality.  They  were  thus  voyaging  along  the  coast 
twenty-eight  days,  during  which  time  they  had 
traversed  over  three  hundred  miles  of  water. 

But  at  last  the  time  came  for  Stanley  to  turn 
his  footsteps  homeward.^  He  tried  in  vain  to  pre- 
vail on  Livingstone  to  go  home  with  him,  but  the 
latter,  though  anxious  to  see  his  children,  reso- 
lutely refused,  saying  that  he  must  finish  his  work. 
He,  however,  concluded  to  accompany  Stanley  as 
far  as  Unyanyembe,  to  meet  the  stores  which  had 
been  forwarded  to  that  place  for  him  from  Zanzi- 
bar. On  the  27th  of  December,  therefore,  they 
set  out  by  a  new  route.  Nothing  occurred  in  the 
long  journey  of  special  interest,  except  the  shoot- 
ing of  a  zebra  or  a  buffalo,  the  meeting  of  a  herd 
of  elephants  or  giraffes,  or  a  lion.  It  was  a  tedi- 
ous and  toilsome  journey,  during  which  Stanley 
suffered  from  attacks  of  fever,  and  Livingstone 
from  lacerated  feet.     They  were  fifty-three  days 


J  33  IN  THE   WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

on  the  march,  but  at  lastUnyanyembe  was  reached. 
Stanley  once  more  took  possession  of  his  old 
quarters.  Here  both  found  letters  and  papers 
from  home,  brought  by  a  recent  caravan,  and  once 
more  they  seemed  put  in  communication  with  the 
outside  world.  Being  well-housed  and  provided 
with  everything  they  needed,  they  felt  thoroughly 
comfortable. 

The  doctor's  boxes  were  first  broken  open,  and 
between  the  number  of  poor  articles  they  con- 
tained and  the  absence  of  good  ones  which  had 
been  abstracted  on  the  way,  they  proved  some- 
thing of  a  disappointment.  Stanley  then  over- 
hauled his  own  stores,  of  which  there  were  seven- 
ty-four loads,  the  most  valuable  of  which  he 
intended  to  turn  over  to  Livini^fstone.  These  also 
had  been  tampered  with;  still  many  luxuries  re- 
mained, and  they  determined  to  have  their  Christ- 
mas dinner  over  again.  Stanley  arranged  the 
bill  of  fare,  and  it  turned  out  grandly.  But  now 
he  saw  that  he  must  begin  to  prepare  for  his  re- 
turn to  the  coast,  and  so  he  left  Livingstone  to 
write  up  his  journal  and  to  finish  the  letters  he 
was  to  send  home.  In  overhauling  the  stores  and 
making  up  the  packages  he  should  need  on  his 
return  route,  he  was  able  to  select  and  turn  over 
to  the  doctor  two  thousand  seven  hundred  and 
eighty-eight  yards  of  cloth,  nine  hundred  and 
ninety-two  pounds  of  assorted  beads,  three  hun- 
dred and  fifty  pounds  of  brass  wire,  besides  bed, 


PARTING  WITH  LIVINGSTONE, 


189 


canvas  boat,  carpenters'  tools,  rifles,  revolvers, 
ammunition,  cooking  utensils  and  various  other 
articles  of  use,  making  in  all  about  forty  loads. 
These,  with  the  doctor's  personal  stores,  made 
Livingstone  quite  a  rich  man  for  Central  Africa — 
in  fact,  he  had  a  four  years'  supply. 

At  length  the  letters  were  all  written,  the  loads 
strapped,  and  the  next  day  fixed  for  Stanley  to 
turn  his  face  homeward  and  Livingstone  his  to 
the  heart  of  Africa.  At  night  the  natives  gave  a 
great  dance  as  a  farewell  compliment,  and  a  wild, 
weird  dance  it  was.  Bombay  wore  a  water-bucket 
on  his  head,  while  each  carried  or  wore  something 
grotesque  or  dangerous.  The  first  was  a  war 
dance,  and  when  it  ended,  a  second  and  different 
one  was  started,  accompanied  by  a  chorus  or  song 
chanted  in  a  slow,  mournful  tone,  of  which  the 
burden  was  '*  Oh-oh-oh,  the  white  man  is  going 
home." 

That  night  as  Stanley  lay  and  pondered  on  the 
morrow,  when  he  should  see  the  "  good  man  "  for 
the  last  time,  he  was  filled  with  the  keenest  sor- 
row. He  had  grown  to  love  him  like  a  father ;  and 
to  see  him  turn  back  alone  to  the  savage  life  he 
must  encounter  in  his  great  work,  seemed  like 
giving  him  over  to  death. 

It  was  a  sad  breakfast  to  which  the  two  sat 
down  next  morninor.     But  it  was  over  at  last  and 

o 

the  parting  hour  came. 

"  Doctor,"  said  Stanley,  "  I  will  leave  two  men 


I  GO  ^^  '^^^   WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

with  you  for  a  couple  of  days,  lest  you  may  have 
forgotten  something,  and  will  wait  for  them  at 
Tura ;  and  now  we  must  part — there  is  no  help 
for  it — good-bye/' 

"  Oh,"  replied  Livingstone,  "  I  am  coming  with 
you  a  little  way;  I  must  see  you  off  on  the  road;" 
and  the  two  walked  on  side  by  side,  their  hearts 
burdened  with  grief. 

At  last  Stanley  said:  "Now,  my  dear  doctor, 
the  best  friends  must  part,  you  have  come  far 
enough,  let  me  beg  of  you  to  turn  back." 

Livingstone  stopped  and,  seizing  Stanley's 
hand,  said:  "I  am  grateful  to  you  for  what  you 
have  done  for  me.  God  guide  you  safe  home 
and  bless  you,  my  friend." 

"And  may  God  bring  you  safe  back  to  us  all, 
my  friend,"  replied  Stanley,  with  a  voice  choked 
with  emotion.     ''Farewell^ 

They  wrung  each  other's  hands  in  silence  for  a 
minute,  and  then  Stanley  turned  away  to  hide  his 
tears,  murmuring:  "Good-bye, doctor;  dear  friend, 
good-bye." 

He  would  not  have  been  the  man  he  is,  not  to 
have  been  overcome  at  this  parting;  alas,  to  be, 
as  it  proved,  a  final  parting,  so  far  as  concerns 
meeting  again  in  this  life.  But  this  was  not  all — 
the  doctor's  faithful  servants  would  not  be  forgot- 
ten, and  rushing  forward,  they  seized  Stanley's 
hands  and  kissed  them  for  their  good  master's 
sake.     The  stern  and  almost  tyrannical  man,  that 


TRIBUTE  TO  LIVINGSTONE,  iqj 

neither  danger  nor  suffering  could  move,  com- 
pletely broke  down  under  this  last  demonstration 
and  could  recover  himself  only  by  giving  the  sharp 
order,  March  !  and  he  almost  drove  his  men 
before  him,  and  soon  a  turn  in  the  path  shut  out 
Livingstone's  form  forever.  Yes,  forever,  so  far 
as  the  living,  speaking  man  is  concerned,  but  shut 
owtnever  from  Stanley's  life.  That  one  man  fixed 
his  destiny  for  this  world,  and  who  knows  but  for 
the  eternal  ages?  No  wonder  that  he  said,  long 
after,  "My  eyes  grow  dim  at  the  remembrance 
of  that  parting.  For  four  months  and  four  days 
I  lived  with  him  in  the  same  house,  or  in  the  same 
boat,  or  in  the  same  tent,  and  I  never  found  a 
fault  in  him.  I  am  a  man  of  a  quick  temper,  and 
often  without  sufficient  cause,  I  dare  say,  have 
broken  ties  of  friendship;  but  with  Livingstone  I 
never  had  cause  of  resentment,  but  each  day's 
life  with  him  added  to  my  admiration  of  him." 

The  caravan  marched  wearily  back,  meeting 
with  nothing  eventful  till  it  entered  the  Ugogo 
territory,  where,  owing  to  a  misunderstanding  on 
the  part  of  the  natives,  who  got  it  into  their  heads 
that  Stanley  meant  to  pass  them  without  paying 
the  accustomed  tribute,  a  fight  seemed  inevitable. 
Had  it  occurred,  it  is  doubtful  whether  he  or  Liv- 
ingstone's papers  would  ever  have  been  heard  of 
again.  But  Stanley  had  seemed  from  his  infancy 
a  child  of  destiny,  and  escaped  here,  as  every- 
where, by  the  skin  of  his  teeth.     It  was  a  constant 


jn2  ^^  '^^^   WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

succession  of  toilsome,  painful  marches,  even  when 
the  natives  were  friendly,  while  there  was  often  a 
scarcity  of  provisions.  To  secure  these  he,  at 
last,  when  on  the  borders  of  the  wilderness  of 
Marenga  Mkali,  dispatched  three  men  to  Zanzibar, 
with  a  request  to  the  consul  there  to  send  them 
back  with  provisions.  These  messengers  were 
told  not  to  halt  for  anything — rain,  rivers  or  inun- 
dations— but  push  right  on.  ''Then,"  says  Stan- 
ley, ''with  a  loud,  vigorous  hurrah,  we  plunged 
into  the  depths  of  the  wilderness  which,  with  its 
eternal  silence  and  solitude,  was  far  preferable  to 
the  jarring,  inharmonious  discord  of  the  villages 
of  the  Waorooro.  For  nine  hours  we  held  on  our 
way,  starting  with  noisy  shouts  the  fierce  rhinoce- 
ros, the  timid  quagga  and  the  herds  of  antelopes, 
which  crowd  the  jungles  of  this  broad  Salina.  On  . 
the  7th,  amid  a  pelting  rain,  Ave  entered  Mpwapwa, 
where  my  Scotch  assistant,  Farquhar,  had  died." 

In  twenty- nine  days  they  had  marched  three 
hundred  and  thirty-eight  miles.  Twelve  miles  a 
day,  including  stoppages  and  delays,  was  in  such 
a  country  rapid  marching — nay,  almost  unparal- 
leled ;  but  Stanley  had  turned  his  face  homeward 
and  could  stand  no  African  dilly-dallying  on  the 
way.  We  cannot  go  into  the  details  of  this  home- 
ward march, — to-day  startled  by  a  thousand  war- 
riors, streaming  along  the  var-path, — to-morrow 
on  the  brink  of  a  collision  with  the  natives,  the  end 
of  which  no  one  could  foresee,  but  the  caravan 


.     PASSING  THE  SWAMPS.  jg-^ 

pressed  on  until  they  came  to  the  neighborhood 
of  the  terrible  Makata  swamps,  that  Stanley  had 
occasion  so  well  to  remember.  Heavy  rains  had 
set  in,  swelHng  all  the  streams  and  inundating  the 
plains,  so  that  the  marching  was  floundering 
through  interminable  stretches  of  water.  Now 
swimming  turbulent  rivers — now  camping  in  the 
midst  of  pestiferous  swamps,  and  all  the  time 
drenched  by  the  rain,  that  fell  in  torrents — they 
struggled  on  until,  at  last,  they  came  to  the  dreaded 
Makata  swamp  itself.  The  sight  that  met  them 
here  was  appalling,  but  there  was  no  retreat,  and 
for  long  hours  they  toiled  slowly  through,  some- 
times up  to  their  necks  in  water,  sometimes  swim- 
ming, and  where  it  was  shallow  sinking  in  deep 
mire.  They  thus  fought  their  way  on,  and  at  last, 
weary,  worn  and  half-starved,  came  to  the  Makata 
River.  But  no  sooner  were  they  over  this,  than 
a  lake  six  miles  wide  stretched  before  them.  The 
natives  warned  him  against  attempting  to  cross  it; 
but  nothing  could  stop  him  now,  and  they  all 
plunged  in. 

He  says:  "We  were  soon  up  to  our  armpits, 
then  the  water  shallowed  to  the  knee,  then  we 
stepped  up  to  the  neck  and  waded  on  tiptoe,  until 
we  were  halted  on  the  edge  of  the  Little  Makata, 
which  raced  along  at  the  rate  of  eight  knots  an 
hour.''  Fierce  and  rapid  as  it  was,  there  was  no 
course  left  but  to  swim  it,  and  swim  it  they  did. 
For  a  whole  week  they  had  been  wading  and  swim- 
13 


igj^  IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 

rning  and  floundering  through  water,  till  it  seemed 
impossible  that  any  one  could  survive  such  ex- 
posure, but,  at  last  they  came  to  dry  ground  and 
to  the  famous  walled  city  of  the  Sultana  Limbam- 
wanni,  which  we  described  in  his  upward  journey. 
But  the  heavy  rains  that  had  inundated  the  whole 
country,  had  so  swollen  the  river,  near  the  banks 
on  which  it  was  situated,  that  the  water  had  carried 
away  the  entire  front  wall  of  the  town,  and  some 
fifty  houses  with  it.  The  sultana  had  fled  and  her 
stronghold  had  disappeared.  All  along  the  route 
was  seen  the  devastating  power  of  the  flood  as  it 
swept  over  the  country,  carrying  away  a  hundred 
villages  in  its  course.  The  fields  were  covered 
with  debris  of  sand  and  mud,  and  what  was  a  para- 
dise when  he  went  in  was  now  a  desert.  With  the 
subsidence  of  the  water  the  atmosphere  became 
impregnated  with  miasma,  and  the  whole  land 
seemed  filled  with  snakes,  scorpions,  iguanas  and 
ants,  while  clouds  of  mosquitoes  darkened  the  air 
till  life  became  almost  intolerable.  At  last,  on  May 
2d,  after  forty-seven  days  of  incessant  marching, 
and  almost  continual  suffering,  they  reached  Ro- 
sako,  where,  a  few  minutes  after,  the  three  men  he 
had  sent  forward  arrived,  brinorlnor  with  them  a  few 
boxes  of  jam,  two  of  Boston  crackers,  and  some 
bottles  of  champagne;  and  most  welcome  they 
were  after  the  terrible  journey  through  the  Makata 
Valley.  The  last  great  obstacle  (a  ferry  of  four 
miles  across  a  watery  plain)  being  surmount^ 


AGAIN  AT  ZANZIBAR,  .j^^ 

the  caravan  approached  Bagomayo,  and  in  their 
jubilant  excitement  announced  its  arrival  by  the 
firing  of  guns  and  blowing  of  horns,  and  with 
shouting  hurrahs  till  they  were  hoarse.  The  sun 
was  just  sinking  behind  the  distant  forests,  from 
which  they  had  emerged  and  which  were  filled  with 
such  terrible  associations,  when  they  entered  the 
town,  and  sniffed  with  delight  the  fresh  sea-breeze 
that  came  softly  stealing  inland.  The  putrid  air  of 
the  swamps,  the  poisonous  miasma  that  enveloped 
the  entire  country,  were  left  far  behind  with  want 
and  famine,  and  no  wonder  the  heart  was  elated 
and  their  bounding  joy  found  expression  in  exult- 
ant shouts. 

Happy  in  having  once  more  reached  civilization; 
happy  in  the  thought  of  his  triumphant  success; 
and  still  more  happy  in  the  joy  that  he  believed 
the  good  news  he  brought  would  give  to  others, 
Stanley^s  heart  was  overflowing  with  kindness  to 
all,  and  the  world  seemed  bright  to  him.  But,  in 
a  moment  it  was  all  dashed  on  opening  the  papers 
at  Zanzibar.  Scarcely  one  had  a  kind  word  for 
him;  on  the  contrary,  he  found  nothing  but  sus- 
picion, jealousy  and  detraction,  and  even  charges 
of  fabricating  the  whole  story  of  having  found  Liv- 
ingstone. He  was  stunned  at  this  undeserved 
cruel  reception  of  his  declaration,  and  the  faith  in 
the  goodness  of  human  nature,  with  which  Living- 
stone had  inspired  him,  seemed  about  to  give  way 
before  this  evidence  of  its  meanness  and  littleness. 


196 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


He  could  not  comprehend  how  his  simple,  truth- 
ful, unostentatious  story  could  awaken  such  unkind 
feelings,  such  baseless  slanders.  It  was  a  cruel 
blow  to  receive,  after  all  that  he  had  endured  and 
suffered.  No  wonder  he  wrote  bitter  words  of 
the  kid-glove  geographers,  who  criticized  him,  and 
the  press  that  jeered  at  him.  But  he  has  had  his 
revenge,  for  he  has  triumphed  over  them  all. 

He  immediately  set  to  work  to  organize  a  cara- 
van to  send  off  to  Livingstone  the  things  he  had 
promised,  and  then  started  for  home. 


CHAPTER  X. 

STANLEY'S  MAIN  EXPEDITION. 

STANLEY,  after  he  had  found  Livingstone, 
naturally  thought  much  of  the  latter's  ex- 
plorations. Africa  had  become  to  him  an 
absorbing  subject,  and  he  began  to  imbibe  the 
spirit  of  Livingstone.  This  was  natural,  for 
Stanley  had  already  won  fame  there,  and  why 
should  he  not  win  still  greater  laurels  in  the  same 
field  ?  This  feeling  was  much  increased  after  the 
death  of  the  great  explorer,  leaving  his  work  un- 
finished, which  Stanley  longed  to  complete.  True, 
Cameron  was  on  the  ground  to  accomplish  this  very 
object,  but  Stanley  knew  the  difficulties  one  would 
have  to  contend  with  without  a  boat  of  his  own. 
The  matter  was  talked  over  a  good  deal,  and 
finally  the  proprietors  of  the  New  York  Herald 
and  London  T^/^^r^^/^  determined  to  send  Stanley 
once  more  into  Africa. 

The  vast  lake  region,  embracing  some  six  de- 
grees of  longitude,  and  extending  from  the  equator 
to  fifteen  degrees  south  latitude,  had  become  a 
region  of  the  greatest  interest  to  explorers.  On 
this  vast  water-shed  lived  a  mighty  population, 
and  these  lakes,  with  the  rivers  running  into  and 
out  of  them,  mustJrfurnish  the  roads  to  commerce 

197 


198 


m  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 


and  be  the  means  by  which  Africa  should  be 
lifted  out  of  Its  barbarism  into  the  light  of  civili- 
zation. 

The  large  lakes  Nyassa  and  Tanganika  had 
been  more  or  less  explored,  but  the  one  possess- 
ing the  greatest  interest,  the  Victoria  Nyanza — on 
account  of  the  general  impression  that  it  was  the 
head  of  the  Nile — was  almost  wholly  unknown. 
The  persistence  with  which  the  Nile  had  mocked  all 
previous  attempts  to  find  its  source,  had  imparted  a 
mystery  to  it  and  caused  efforts  to  be  made  to 
unlock  the  secret,  which  were  wholly  dispropor- 
tioned  to  its  seeming  value  or  real  importance. 
Thi:  lake,  therefore,  was  to  be  Stanley's  first  ob- 
jective point.  Livingstone,  Speke  and  Burton, 
and  others  had  seen  it — he  would  sail  around  it  in 
a  boat  which  he  would  take  with  him.  This  he  had 
made  in  sections,  so  that  it  could  be  carried  the 
nearly  one  thousand  miles  through  the  jungles  of 
Africa  to  its  destination. 

Everything  being  completed  he  started  on  his 
route,  and  in  the  latter  part  of  1874  found  himself 
once  more  at  Zanzibar,  after  an  absence  of  four 
years.  Here,  in  organizing  his  expedition,  he 
discovered  that  the  builder  had  made  his  boat, 
which  he  had  christened  the  Lady  Alice,  a  great 
deal  heavier  than  he  had  ordered ;  but  he  luckily 
found  a  man  in  Zanzibar  who  was  able  to  reduce 
its  weight  so  that  it  could  be  transported  by  the 
carriers..  His  force  consisted  in  all,  of  a  little  over 


AGAIN  JOURNEYING  INLAND, 


199 


three  hundred  men,  and  he  took  with  him  several 
powerful  dogs. 

The  interest  of  this  great  expedition  begins 
where  he  struck  off  from  the  reorular  route  of  the 
caravans  going  west,  and  entered  an  entirely  new 
country  and  encountered  a  new  race  of  people. 
Instead  of  moving  directly  westward,  he  turned 
off  to  the  north,  and  at  length  reached  the  western 
frontier  of  Ugogo,  on  the  last  day  of  the  year 
1874.  The  country  at  this  point  stretched  before 
him  in  one  vast  plain,  which  some  of  the  natives 
said  extended  clear  to  Nyanza.  He  found  that  his 
course  led  him  along  the  extremity  of  Whumba, 
which  he  was  glad  to  know,  as  he  thought  his 
march  would  now  be  unmolested.  Two  days' 
march  brought  them  to  the  borders  of  Usandawa, 
a  country  abounding  in  elephants.  Here  he  turned 
to  the  north-west  and  entered  Ukimbu  or  Uyonzi 
on  its  eastern  extremity.  The  guides  he  had  hired 
in  Ugogo  to  take  him  as  far  as  Iramba  here  de- 
serted him.  Hiring  fresh  ones,  he  continued  two 
days  in  the  same  direction,  when  these  deserted 
him  also,  and  Stanley  found  himself  one  morning 
on  the  edge  of  a  vast  wilderness  without  a  guide. 

The  day  before,  the  guides  had  told  him  that 
three  days'  march  would  bring  him"  to  Urimi.  Re« 
lying  on  the  truth  of  this  statement,  he  had 
purchased  only  two  days'  provisions.  Thinking, 
therefore,  that  they  would  be  there  by  the  even- 
ing of  the  next  day,  he  thought  little  of  the  de- 


200  ^^  '^^^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 

sertion  and  moved  off  with  confidence.  But  the 
next  morning,  the  track,  which  was  narrow  and 
indistinct  at  the  best,  became  so  inextricably  mixed 
up  with  the  paths  made  by  elephants  and  rhino- 
ceros, that  they  were  wholly  at  a  loss  what  course 
to  take.  Halting,  Stanley  sent  out  men  to  seek 
the  lost  trail,  but  they  returned  unable  to  find  it. 
They  then,  of  course,  could  do  nothing  but  march 
by  compass,  which  they  did. 

As  might  be  expected,  it  brought  them,  after  a 
few  hours'  march,  into  a  dense  jungle  of  acacias 
and  euphorbias,  through  which  they  could  make 
their  way  only  by  crawling,  scrambling  and  cutting 
the  entangling  vines.  Now  pushing  aside  an  ob- 
structing branch — now  cutting  a  narrow  lane 
through  the  matted  mass,  and  now  taking  advan- 
tage of  a  slight  opening,  this  little  band  of  three 
hundred  struggled  painfully  forward  toward  what 
they  thought  was  open  country,  and  an  African 
village  with  plenty  of  provisions. 

In  this  protracted  struggle  the  third  night  over- 
took them  in  the  wilderness,  and  there  they  pitched 
their  lonely,  starving  camp.  To  make  it  more 
gloomy,  one  of  the  men  died  and  was  buried;  his 
shallow  grave  seeming  to  be  a  sad  foreboding  of 
what  awaited  them  in  the  future.  The  want  of 
provisions  now  began  to  tell  terribly  on  the  men, 
but  there  was  nothing  to  do  but  go  forward,  trust- 
ing to  some  break  in  this  apparently  interminable 
wilderness.     But  human  endurance  has  its  limit. 


LOST  m  TITE  yUN'GLE,  201 

and  although  Stanley  kept  his  little  force  marching 
all  day,  they  made  but  fourteen  miles.  It  was  a 
continual  jungle,  with  not  a  drop  of  water  on  the 
route.  The  poor  carriers,  hungry  and  thirsty, 
sank  under  their  loads  and  lagged  behind  the 
main  force  for  many  miles,  until  it  became  a  strag- 
gling, weary,  despondent  crowd,  moving  without 
order  and  without  care  through  the  wilderness. 
The  strong  endeavored  to  help  the  weak,  and  did 
relieve  them  of  their  burdens  and  encourage  them 
to  hold  on,  so  that  most  of  them  were  able  to 
reach  the  camp  at  night.  But  in  despite  of  all 
effort  five  sick,  despairing  men,  strayed  from  the 
path,  which  was  only  a  blind  trail  made  by  those 
in  advance. 

After  the  camp  for  the  night  was  pitched,  Stan- 
ley sent  back  scouts  to  find  the  wanderers.  They 
explored  the  woods  for  a  mile  each  side  of  the 
track,  but  only  one  man  was  found,  and  he  fully  a 
mile  from  the  trail  and  dead.  The  other  four  had 
wandered  off  beyond  reach  and  were  never  heard 
of  more.  This  was  getting  to  be  fearful  marching 
— five  men  in  one  day  was  a  death-roll  that  could 
not  be  kept  up  long,  and  Stanley  began  to  cast 
about  anxiously  to  determine  what  step  he  should 
next  take.  There  was  but  one  course  left  open 
to  him,  to  attempt  to  retrace  his  steps  was  certain 
death  by  famine,  to  advance  could  not  be  worse, 
while  it  might  bring  relief,  so  "push  on,"  was  the 
order,  and  they  did  push  on,  weary,  thirsty,  starv- 


$02  I^  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 

ing,  and  on  the  fifth  day  they  came  to  a  littie  viU 
lage  recenriy  established,  and  which  consisted  of 
only  four  huts,  occupied  by  four  men  with  their 
wives  and  children.  These  had  scarcely  provisions 
enough  to  keep  themselves,  and  hence  could 
give  nothing  to  Stanley's  starving  men.  It  was 
useless  to  attempt  further  marching  without  food, 
for  the  men  staggered  into  camp  exhausted, 
and  would  rather  die  there  than  attempt  to  move 
again. 

Stanley's  experience  had  taught  him  how  far  he 
could  urge  on  these  African  carriers  and  soldiers, 
and  he  saw  they  had  now  become  desperate  and 
would  not  budge  another  inch  until  they  had  some- 
thing to  eat.  He,  therefore,  ordered  a  halt,  and 
selecting  twenty  of  his  strongest  men,  sent  them 
oflF  in  search  of  food.  They  were  to  press  on  to 
a  village  called  Suna,  about  thirty  miles  distant, 
of  which  the  natives  told  him,  and  where  they  said 
food  was  in  abundance.  As  soon  as  they  had  dis- 
appeared in  the  forest,  Stanley  took  his  gun  and 
strolled  out  in  search  of  game.  But,  filled  as  the 
country  seemed  with  it,  he  could  find  nothing  to 
shoot.  One  of  his  men,  however,  came  across  a 
lion's  den,  in  which  were  two  cubs,  which  he 
brought  to  Stanley.  The  latter  skinned  them  and 
took  them  back  to  camp.  As  he  entered  it,  the 
pinched  and  worn  faces  of  his  faithful  men,  as  they 
sat  hungry  and  despairing,  moved  him  so  deeply 
that  he  would  have  wept,  but  for  fear  of  adding  to 


LION  SOUP,  203 

their  despondency.  The  two  cubs  would  go  but 
a  little  way  toward  feeding  some  two  hundred  and 
twenty  men,  if  cooked  as  ordinary  meat,  so  he 
resolved  to  make  a  soup  of  them,  which  would  go 
much  farther.  But  the  question  was  where  to  get 
a  kettle  large  enough  to  make  a  soup  for  such  a 
large  body  of  men. 

Luckily,  he  bethought  himself  of  a  sheet-iron 
trunk  which  he  had  among  his  baggage,  and  which 
was  water-tight.  He  quickly  dumped  out  of  it  its 
contents,  and  filling  it  with  water,  set  it  over  a  fire 
•which  he  had  ordered  to  be  made.  He  then  broke 
Dpen  his  medical  stores,  and  taking  out  five  pounds 
of  Scotch  oatmeal  and  three  one-pound  tins  of 
Revalenia  Arabica,  he  made  with  it  and  the  two 
young  lions  a  huge  trunk  full  of  gruel,  that  would 
give  even  two  hundred  and  twenty  men  a  good 
bowl  apiece.  He  said  it  was  a  rare  sight  to  see 
those  hungry,  famished  men  gather  around  that 
Torquay  dress-trunk  and  pile  on  the  fuel,  and  in 
every  way  assist  to  make  the  contents  boil,  while 
with  greedy  eyes,  with  gourds  in  their  hands  full 
of  water,  they  stood  ready  to  pour  it  in  the  mo- 
ment it  threatened  to  boil  over  and  waste  the 
precious  contents.  "  But,''  he  adds,  "it  was  a  rarer 
sight  still  to  watch  the  famished  wretches,  as,  with 
these  same  gourds  full  of  the  precious  broth,  they 
drank  it  down  as  only  starving  men  swallow  food. 
The  weak  and  sick  got  a  larger  portion,  and 
another  tin  of  oatmeal  being  opened  for  their  sup- 


a04  JNJTHElWTLDS  OF 'AFRICA. 

per  ami  firealcfast,  they  awaited  patiently  the  return 
of  those  who  had  gone  in  quest  of  food." 

Stanley's  position  now  became  painfully  trying. 
He  was  five  days'  march  from  where  he  could 
obtain  food,  if  he  attempted  to  go  back.  This 
march,  in  the  present  condition  of  his  men,  they 
could  never  make,  and  if  any  did  survive,  it  would 
be  on  the  terrible  condition  of  the  living  eating 
the  dead. 

The  only  hope  lay  in  reaching  supplies  in  ad- 
vance. But  what  if  those  twenty  strong  men  he 
had  sent  on  to  find  them  never  returned,  having 
been  ambushed  and  killed  on  the  way,  or  what  if 
they,  at  the  end  of  several  days,  returned  and 
reported  nothing  but  an  unbroken  wilderness  and 
impassable  jungle  or  swamps  in  front,  and  them- 
selves famished,  ready  to  die  ?  These  were  ques- 
tions that  Stanley  anxiously  put  to  himself  and 
dared  not  contemplate  the  answer.  The  hours  of 
painful  anxiety  and  suspense,  the  maddening 
thoughts  and  wild  possibilities  that  fire  the  brain 
and  oppress  the  heart  in  such  crises  as  these  can- 
not be  imagined,  they  can  be  known  only  by  him 
who  suffers  the  pangs  they  inflict.  This  is  a  por- 
tion of  the  history  of  the  expedition  that  Stanley 
can  never  write,  though  it  is  written  on  his  heart 
in  lines  th^t  will  never  be  effaced. 

The  empty  trunk  lay  on  one  side,  and  the  night 
came  down  and  the  stars  burned  bright  and  tran- 
quilly above,  and  all  was  silent  in  the  wide  solitude 


GOOD  NEWS.  203 

as  Stanley  sat  and  listened  for  the  return  of  his 
men.  But  they  came  not,  and  the  morning  broke 
and  the  sun  rode  the  tropical  heavens  once  more 
in  his  splendor,  but  no  musket-shot  from  the  forest 
told  of  the  returning  scouts.  The  weary  hours 
wore  on  and  the  emaciated  men  lay  around  in 
silent  suffering.  To  Stanley  those  hours  seemed 
days.  Night  again  darkened  the  forest  and  still 
no  sign  of  the  returning  party.  Would  they  ever 
return  ?  was  the  terrible  question  Stanley  was  per- 
petually putting  to  himself,  and  if  not,  what  des- 
perate movement  should  he  attempt? 

The  third  morning  broke  as  calm  and  peaceful 
as  the  rest ;  he  was  beginning  to  despair,  when, 
suddenly,  a  musket-shot  broke  over  the  forest, 
and  then  another  and  another,  sending  sudden  life 
and  activity  throughout  the  despairing  camp.  The 
men,  as  they  emerged  into  view  laden  with  food, 
were  greeted  with  a  loud  shout,  and  the  hungry 
wretches  fell  on  the  provisions  they  brought  like 
ravening  wolves.  The  report  of  abundance  ahead 
so  excited  the  men  that  they  forgot  their  feeble- 
ness and  clamored  to  be  led  on  that  very  after- 
noon. Stanley  was  quite  willing  to  get  away  from 
the  jungle,  filled  with  such  painful  associations, 
and  cheerfully  ordered  the  march,  but  before  they 
could  get  away  two  men  breathed  their  last  in  the 
camp  and  were  left  to  sleep  alone  in  the  wilder- 
ness. 

That  night  they   encamped  at  the  base  of  a 


206  ^^  ^^^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

rocky  hill,  from  which  stretched  away  a  broad 
plain.  The  hill,  lifting  itself  into  the  clear  air, 
and  the  open  plain,  seemed  like  civilization  com- 
pared with  the  gloomy  jungle  in  which  they  had 
been  starving  for  the  last  two  days,  and  where 
they  had  left  two  of  their  number.  They  awoke 
next  morning  cheerful  and  refreshed.  Starting 
off  with  the  prospect  of  abundant  provisions  ahead, 
they  made  a  steady  march  of  twenty  miles  and 
reached  the  district  of  Suna  in  Urimi. 

Stanley  was  surprised,  on  entering  the  rude 
village,  to  see  a  new  type  of  African  life.  Men 
and  women  of  great  beauty  and  fine  physical  pro- 
portions met  his  astonished  sight.  They  stood  be- 
fore him  in  all  their  naked  beauty,  unabashed:  the 
women  bearing  children  alone  wearing  a  covering 
of  goat  skins,  designed  evidently  as  a  protection 
against  external  injury,  and  not  caused  by  any 
notions  of  modesty.  Their  fine  appearance  seemed 
to  indicate  a  greater  mental  development  than  any 
other  tribes  which  they  had  met.  Whether  this 
were  so  or  not,  it  would  be  difficult  to  tell,  for  they 
were  the  most  suspicious,  reserved  people  Stanley 
had  ever  met,  being  greatly  disinclined  to  barter 
provisions,  of  which  they  had  more  than  they 
wanted,  for  cloth  and  beads,  of  which  they  ap- 
parently had  none. 

They  had  no  chief,  but  seemed  to  be  governed 
in  their  actions  by  the  old  men.  With  these 
Stanley  therefore  treated  for  permission  to  pass 


DEATH  IN  THE  CAMP. 


207 


through  their  land.  •  It  required  great  tact  to  se- 
cure this,  and  still  more  to  obtain  the  required 
food,  Stanley  bore  this  silent  hostility  patiently, 
for  though  he  could  have  taken  all  he  wanted  by 
force,  he  wished  to  avoid  all  violence.  While 
lingering  here,  two  more  of  his  exhausted  comp- 
any gave  out  and  died,  while  his  sick  list  swelled 
up  to  thirty.  Among  the  latter  was  Edward 
Pocoke,  whom,  with  his  brother,  Stanley  had  en- 
gaged in  England  to  accompany  him  as  attend- 
ants.  This  compelled  him  to  halt  for  four  days, 
but  finding  that  the  hostile  feeling  of  the  natives 
increased  the  longer  he  stayed,  he  determined, 
dangerous  as  it  was  to  the  sick,  especially  to 
Pocoke,  to  leave.  Dysentery  and  diarrhoea  were 
prevailing  to  an  alarming  extent,  and  rest  was 
especially  necessary  for  these,  if  they  hoped  to  re- 
cover ;  but  he  was  afraid  matters  would  become 
dangerously  complicated  if  he  remained,  and  he 
turned  his  soldiers  into  carriers  and  slung  the  sick 
into  hammocks.  Encouraging  them  with  the  pros- 
pect of  plenty  and  comfort  ahead,  he  gave  the  order 
to  march,  and  they  passed  out  and  entered  upon 
a  clear,  open  and  well  cultivated  country.  Reach- 
ing a  village  at  10  o'clock  they  halted,  and  here, 
to  the  great  grief  of  all,  young  Pocoke  breathed 
his  last.  In  speaking  of  this  sad  event,  which  cast 
a  gloom  over  the  camp,  Stanley  says :  "  We  had 
finished  the  four  hundredth  mile  of  our  march 
from  the  sea  and  had  reached  the  base  of  the 


208  ^^  ^^^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 

water-shed,  where  the  trickling  streams  and  m- 
fant  waters  began  to  flow  Nile-ward,  when  this 
noble  young  man  died."  They  buried  him  at 
night  under  a  tree,  with  the  stars  shining  down 
on  the  shallow-made  grave ;  Stanley  reading  the 
burial  service  of  the  Church  of  England  over  the 
body.  Far  from  home  and  friends  in  that  distant* 
lonely  land  he  sleeps  to-day,  a  simple  wooden 
cross  marking  his  burial  place.  Stanley  sent  the 
following  letter  home  to  the  young  man's  father, 
describing  his  sickness  and  death : 

"  Kagehyi,  on  the  Victoria  Nyanza, 
"March  4th,  1875. 

"  Dear  Sir  :  A  most  unpleasant,  because  sad, 
task  devolves  upon  me,  for  I  have  the  misfortune 
to  have  to  report  to  you  the  death  of  your  son 
Edward,  of  typhoid  fever.  His  service  with  me 
was  brief,  but  it  was  long  enough  for  me  to  know 
the  greatness  of  your  loss,  for  I  doubt  that  few 
fathers  can  boast  of  such  sons  as  yours.  Both 
Frank  and  Ted  proved  themselves  sterling  men, 
noble  and  brave  hearts  and  faithful  servants.  Ted 
had  endeared  himself  to  the  members  of  the  ex- 
pedition by  his  amiable  nature,  his  cheerfulness, 
and  by  various  qualifications  which  brought  him 
into  high  favor  with  the  native  soldiers  of  this 
force. 

"  Before  daybreak  we  were  accustomed  to  hear 
the  cheery  notes  of  his  bugle,  which  woke  us  to  a 


LETTER  OF  CONDOLENCE, 


209 


fresh  day's  labor ;  at  night,  around  the  camp-fires, 
we  were  charmed  with  his  sweet,  simple  songs,  of 
which  he  had  an  inexhaustible  repertoire.  When 
tired  also  with  marching,  it  was  his  task  to  announce 
to  the  tired  people  the  arrival  of  the  vanguard  at 
camp,  so  that  he  had  become  quite  a  treasure  to 
us  all ;  and  I  must  say,  I  have  never  known  men 
who  could  bear  what  your  sons  have  borne  on 
this  expedition  so  patiently  and  uncomplainingly. 
I  never  heard  one  grumble  either  from  Frank  or 
Ted;  have  never  heard  them  utter  an  illiberal 
remark,  or  express  any  wish  that  the  expedition 
had  never  set  foot  in  Africa,  as  many  men  would 
have  done  in  their  situation,  so  that  you  may  well 
imagine,  that  if  the  loss  of  one  of  your  sons 
causes  grief  to  your  paternal  heart,  it  has  been  no 
less  a  grief  to  us,  as  we  were  all,  as  it  were,  one 
family,  surrounded  as  we  are  by  so  much  that  is 
dark  and  forbidding. 

"On  arriving  at  Suna,  in  Urimi,  Ted  came  to  me, 
after  a  very  long  march,  complaining  of  pain  in 
his  limbs  and  loins.  I  did  not  think  it  was  serious 
at  all,  nor  anything  uncommon  after  walking 
twenty  miles,  but  told  him  to  go  and  lie  down, 
that  he  would  be  better  on  the  morrow,  as  it  was 
very  likely  fatigue.  The  next  morning  I  visited 
him,  and  he  again  complained  of  pains  in  the 
knees  and  back,  which  I  ascribed  to  rheumatism, 
and  treated  him  accordingly.  The  third  day  he 
complained  of  pain  in  the  chest,  difficulty  of 
14 


2 1  o  ^^  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA^ 

breathing  and  sleeplessness,  from  which  I  per^ 
ceived  he  was  suffering  from  some  other  malady 
than  rheumatism,  but  what  it  could  be  I  could  not 
divine.  He  was  a  little  feverish,  so  I  applied  a 
mustard-plaster  and  gave  him  some  aperient  medi- 
cine. Toward  night  he  began  to  wander  in  his 
head,  and  on  examining  his  tongue  I  found  it  was 
almost  black  and  coated  with  dark  gray  fur.  At 
these  symptoms  I  thought  he  had  a  severe  attack 
of  remittent  fever,  from  which  I  suffered  in  Ujiji, 
in  1871,  and  therefore  I  watched  for  an  oppor- 
tunity to  administer  quinine — that  is,  when  the 
fever  should  abate  a  little. 

"  On  the  fourth  day,  the  patient  still  wandering 
in  his  mind,  I  suggested  to  Frank  that  he  should 
sponge  him  with  cold  water  and  change  his  cloth- 
ing, during  which  operation  I  noticed  that  the 
chest  of  the  patient  was  covered  with  spots  like 
pimples  or  small-pox  pustules,  which  perplexed 
me  greatly.  He  could  not  have  caught  the  small* 
pox,  and  what  the  disease  was  I  could  not  imagine ; 
but,  turning  to  my  medical  books,  I  saw  that  your 
son  was  suffering  from  typhoid,  the  description  of 
which  was  too  clear  to  be  longer  mistaken,  and 
both  Frank  and  I  devoted  our  attention  to  him. 
He  was  nourished  with  arrow-root  and  brandy, 
and  everything  that  was  in  our  power  to  do  was 
done ;  but  it  was  very  evident  that  the  case  wafv 
serious,  though  I  hoped  that  his  constitution  would 
brave  it  out. 


BURIAL  OF  POCOKE, 


213 


**  On  the  fifth  day  we  were  compelled  to  resume 
our  journey,  after  a  rest  of  four  days.  Ted  was 
put  in  a  hammock  and  carried  on  the  shoulders 
of  four  men.  At  10  o'clock  on  the  17th  of  Janu- 
ary, we  halted  at  Chiwyn,  and  the  minute  he  was 
laid  down  in  the  camp  he  breathed  his  last.  Our 
companion  was  dead. 

*'We  buried  him  that  night  under  a  tree,  on 
which  his  brother  Frank  had  cut  a  deep  cross,  and 
we  read  the  beautiful  service  of  the  Church  of 
England  over  him  as  we  laid  the  poor  worn-out 
body  in  its  final  resting-place  so  far  from  his  own 
home  and  friends. 

"  Peace  be  to  his  ashes.  Poor  Ted  deserved  a 
better  fate  than  dying  in  Africa,  but  it  was  im- 
possible that  he  could  have  died  easier.  I  wish 
that  my  end  may  be  as  peaceful  and  painless  as 
his.  He  was  spared  the  stormy  scenes  we  went 
through  afterwards  in  our  war  with  the  Waturn : 
and  who  knows  how  much  he  has  been  saved 
from  ?  But  I  know  that  he  would  have  rejoiced 
to  be  with  us  at  this  hour  of  our  triumph,  gazing 
on  the  laughing  waters  of  the  vast  fountain  of  the 
old  Nile.  None  of  us  would  have  been  more 
elated  at  the  prospect  before  us  than  he,  for  he 
was  a  true  sailor,  and  loved  the  sight  of  water. 
Yet  again  I  say  peace  be  to  his  ashes ;  be  consoled, 
for  Frank  still  lives,  and,  from  present  appear- 
ances, is  likely  to  come  home  to  you  with  honor 
and  glory,  such  as  he  and  you  may  well  be  proud 


21 A  I^  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 

of.     Believe  me,  dear  sir,  with  true  sincerity,  your 
well-wisher,  Henry  M.  Stanley.'* 

Stanley  still  traveled  in  a  northwest  direction, 
and  the  farther  he  advanced  the  more  he  was  con- 
vinced that  the  rivulets  he  encountered  flowed  into 
the  Nile,  and  he  became  elated  with  the  hope  that 
he  should  soon  stand  on  the  shores  of  the  great 
lake  that  served  as  the  head  reservoir  of  the 
mighty  river. 

Two  days'  march  now  brought  them  to  Mon- 
gafa,  where  one  of  his  men  who  had  accompanied 
him  on  his  former  expedition  was  murdered.  He 
was  suffering  from  the  asthma,  and  Stanley  per- 
mitted  him  to  follow  the  party  slowly.  Straggling 
thus  behind  alone,  he  was  waylaid  by  the  natives 
and  murdered.  It  was  impossible  to  ascertain 
who  committed  the  deed,  and  so  Stanley  could 
not  avenge  the  crime. 

Keeping  on  they  at  length  entered  Itwru,  a  dis- 
trict of  Northern  Urimi.  The  village  where  they 
camped  was  called  Vinyata,  containing  some  two 
thousand  to  three  thousand  souls,  and  was  situ- 
ated in  a  broad  and  populous  valley,  through  which 
flowed  a  stream  twenty  feet  wide.  The  people 
here  received  him  in  a  surly  manner,  but  Stanley 
was  very  anxious  to  avoid  trouble  and  used  every 
exertion  to  conciliate  them.  He  seemed  at  last 
to  succeed,  for  at  evening  they  brought  him  milk, 
eggs  and  chickens,  taking  cloth  in  exchange.     This 


MAGIC  DOCTOR,  2 1  5 

reached  the  ears  of  the  great  man  of  the  valley,  & 
magic  doctor,  who,  there  being  no  king  over  the 
people,  is  treated  with  the  highest  respect  and 
honor  by  them.  The  next  day  he  brought  Stan- 
ley a  fat  ox,  for  which  the  latter  paid  him  twice 
what  it  was  worth  in  cloth  and  beads,  besides 
making  a  rich  present  to  his  brother  and  son.  To 
all  this  man's  requests  Stanley  cheerfully  consent- 
ed in  his  anxiety  to  conciliate  him  and  the  natives. 
That  day,  taking  advantage  of  the  bright  sun  to 
dry  the  bales  and  goods,  he  exposed  his' rich  stores, 
an  imprudence  which  he  very  quickly  deeply 
regretted,  for  he  saw  that  the  display  awok^  all 
the  gre^i^/  feelings  of  the  natives,  as  was  evinced 
by  thei^  eager  looks.  But  the  day  passed  quietly, 
and  en  ^he  third  morning  the  great  man  made  his 
appearance  again  and  begged  for  more  beads, 
which  were  given  him  and  he  departed  apparently 
very  much  pleased,  and  Stanley  congratulated 
himself  that  he  would  be  allowed  to  depart  in 
peace. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

PRESSING  TOWARDS  THE  INTERIOR. 

FOR  a  half  an  hour  after  the  magic  doctor 
left,  Stanley  sat  quietly  in  his  camp,  his 
anxieties  now  thoroughly  dissipated,  think- 
ing over  his  speedy  departure  for  the  Nyanza. 
The  camp  was  situated  on  the'  margin  of  a  vast 
wilderness,  which  stretched  he  knew  not  how  far 
westward,  while  away  to  the  north,  south  and  east 
extended  a  wide,  open  plain,  dotted  over,  as  far  as 
the  eye  could  see,  with  villages.  There  were 
nearly  two  hundred  of  them,  looking  is  the  dis- 
tance like  clusters  of  beehives.  Everything  was 
peaceful,  and  rrot  a  sound  disturbed  the  Sabbath- 
like stillness  of  the  scene,  when  there  suddenly 
broke  on  his  ears  the  shrill  war-cry,  which  was 
taken  up  by  village  after  village  till  the  whole  val- 
ley resounded  with  it.  It  was  one  loud  "he-hu, 
he-hu,''  the  last  syllable  prolonged  and  uttered  in 
a  high,  piercing  note  that  made  the  blood  shiver. 
Still  Stanley  felt  no  alarm,  supposing  that  some 
war  expedition  was  about  to  be  set  on  foot,  or 
some  enemy  was  reported  to  be  near,  and  listened 
to  the  barbaric  cry  simply  with  curiosity.  The 
men  in  the  camp  kept  about  their  usual  avoca- 
tions— some  fetching  water  from  a  neighboring 

216 


A  HOSTILE  SURPRISE. 


217 


pool,  while  others  were  starting  off  after  wood — 
when  suddenly  a  hundred  warriors  appeared  close 
to  camp  in  full  war  costume.  Feathers  of  the 
eagle  and  other  birds  waved  above  their  heads, 
"the  mane  of  the  zebra  and  giraffe  encircled  their 
foreheads,  their  left  hand  held  the  bow  and  arrows, 
while  the  right  grasped  the  spear/'  Stanley 
arose,  and  telling  the  men  not  to  leave  camp  nor 
do  anything  to  provoke  a  hostile  act,  waited  to  see 
what  this  sudden  warlike  attitude  meant. 

In  the  meantime  the  throng  increased  till  the 
entire  camp  was  surrounded.  A  slight  bush  fence 
had  been  built  around  it,  which,  though  it  con- 
cealed those  within,  was  too  slight  to  be  of  use  in 
case  of  an  attack.  Seeing  that  this  hostile  demon- 
stration  was  against  him,  Stanley  sent  out  a  young 
man  wbo  spoke  their  language,  to  inquire  what 
they  wanted.  Six  or  seven  warriors  advanced  to 
meet  him,  when  a  lively  conversation  followed. 
The  messenger  soon  returned  and  reported  that 
they  accused  one  of  the  party  of  having  stolen 
some  milk  and  butter  from  a  small  village,  and 
they  must  be  paid  for  it  in  cloth.  He  at  once  sent 
the  messenger  back,  directing  him  to  tell  the  war- 
riors that  he  did  not  come  into  their  country  to 
rob  or  steal,  ^nd  if  anything  had  been  taken  from 
them  they  had  but  to  name  the  price  they  asked 
for  it  and  it  should  be  paid  at  once.  The  messen- 
ger brought  back  word  that  they  demanded  four 
yards  of  sheeting;  although  this  was  worth  four 


2  1 8  ^^  T^^^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

times  as  much  as  the  articles  were  which  they 
alleged  had  been  stolen,  he  was  very  glad  to  settle 
the  matter  so  easily,  and  it  was  measured  and  sent 
to  them.  The  elders  declared  that  they  were  per- 
fectly satisfied,  and  they  all  withdrew.  But  Stan- 
ley could  not  at  once  shake  off  the  suspicion  this 
unexpected  show  of  hostile  feeling  had  excited, 
and  he  watched  narrowly  the  villages  in  the  dis- 
tance. He  soon  saw  that  the  warriors  were  not 
pacified  if  the  elders  were,  for  he  could  see  them 
hurrying  together  from  all  parts  of  the  plain  and 
gesticulating  wildly. 

Still  he  hoped  the  elders  would  keep  them  from 
any  overt  act  of  hostility.  While  he  was  watching 
them,  he  saw  about  two  hundred  men  separate 
themselves  from  the  main  body,  and  taking  a  sweep, 
make  for  the  woods  west  of  the  camp.  They  had 
hardly  entered  when  one  of  Stanley's  men  rushed 
forth  from  the  same  vicinity  into  camp  bleeding 
profusely  from  his  face  and  arms.  He  said  that 
Suleiman  (a  youth)  and  he  were  gathering  wood 
when  the  savages  came  suddenly  upon  them.  He 
was  struck  with  a  stick  that  broke  his  nose,  and 
his  arm  was  pierced  with  a  spear,  while  Suleiman 
fell  pierced  with  a  dozen  spears.  His  story  and 
bloody  appearance  so  excited  the  soldiers  that 
Stanley  could  with  difficulty  restrain  them  from 
rushing  out  at  once  and  attacking  the  murderers. 
He  did  not  yet  despair  of  preventing  an  outbreak, 
but  took  ^are  to  open  the  ammunition  and  be  pre- 


A  BATTLE.  210 

pared  for  the  worst.  He  saw  at  once  that  an  im- 
mensely large  force  could  be  brought  against  him, 
and  he  must  fortify  himself  or  he  would  be  over- 
whelmed by  numbers,  and  so  ordered  the  men 
immediately  to  commence  strengthening  the  fence. 
They  had  not  been  long  employed  at  it  when  the 
savages  made  a  dash  at  the  camp,  and  sent  a 
shower  of  arrows  into  it.  Stanley  immediately 
ordered  sixty  soldiers  to  deploy  fifty  yards  in  front. 
At  the  word  of  command  they  rushed  out,  and  the 
battle  commenced. 

The  enemy  soon  turned  in  flight  and  the  soldiers 
pursued  them.  Every  man  was  now  ordered  to 
work  on  the  defenses  ;  some  cut  down  thorn-trees 
and  threw  together  rapidly  a  high  fence  all  around 
the  camp,  while  others  were  ordered  to  build  plat- 
forms within  for  the  sharp-shooters.  All  this  time 
Stanley  could  hear  the  fire  of  the  soldiers  grow- 
ing more  and  more  indistinct  in  the  distance. 
When  the  fence  was  completed  he  directed  the 
sections  of  the  Lady  Alice  to  be  placed  so  as  to 
form  a  sort  of  central  camp,  to  which  they  could 
retire  in  the  last  extremity.  As  soon  as  every- 
thing was  finished  he  ordered  the  bugle  to  sound 
the  retreat,  and  soon  the  skirmishers  came  in  sight. 
They  reported  fifteen  of  the  enemy  killed.  All 
had  fought  bravely,  even  a  bull-dog  had  seized  a 
savage  and  was  tearing  him  to  pieces,  when  a 
bullet  put  the  poor  wretch  out  of  his  misery. 

They  were  not  molested  again  that  day,  which 


220  ^^  ^^^   WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 

gave  them  time  to  make  their  position  still 
stronger.  The  night  passed  quietly,  and  they 
were  allowed  to  breakfast  in  peace.  But  about 
9  o'clock  the  savages  in  great  numbers  advanced 
upon  the  camp.  All  hopes  of  peace  were  now  at 
an  end,  and  since  he  was  forced  to  fight,  Stanley 
determined  to  inflict  no  half-way  punishment,  but 
sweep  that  fair  valley  with  the  besom  of  destruc- 
tion. He  therefore  selected  four  reliable  men, 
placed  them  at  the  head  of  four  detachments,  as- 
signing to  each  a  fleet  runner,  whose  duty  it  was, 
not  to  fight,  but  to  report  any  disaster  that  threat- 
ened or  befell  the  detachment  to  which  the  man  be- 
longed. He  then  ordered  them  to  move  out  and 
attack  the  savages.  As  the  route  of  the  enemy 
was  certain,  he  directed  them  to  pursue  them  sep- 
arately, yet  keep  before  them  as  the  place  of  final 
rendezvous,  some  high  rocks  five  miles  distant 
down  the  valley.  The  detachments  poured  forth 
from  the  camp,  and  the  deadly  fire-arms  so  ap- 
palled those  savage  warriors,  armed  only  with  the 
bow  and  spear,  that  they  at  once  turned  and  fled. 
The  detachments  followed  in  hot  pursuit,  and  what 
promised  to  be  a  fight,  became  a  regular  stampede. 
But  one  detachment  having  pursued  a  large  force 
of  the  enemy  into  the  open  plain,  the  latter  turned 
at  bay. 

The  leader  of  the  detchment,  excited  by  the 
pursuit,  and  believing,  in  his  contempt  for  the  sav- 
ages, that  the  mere  sight  of  his  little  band  would 


A  MASSACRE,  22 1 

send  them  scurrying  away  in  deadly  fear,  charged 
boldly  on  them.  Quick  as  thought  they  closed 
around  him  in  overwhelming  numbers.  The  run- 
ner alone  escaped  and  bore  the  sad  tidings  to 
Stanley.  The  appointment  of  these  runners  shows 
his  wonderful  prevision — that  foresight  which  on 
many  occasions  alone  saved  him.  He  at  once 
sent  assistance  to  the  detachment  that  the  courier 
had  reported  surrounded.  Alas,  before  it  arrived 
every  man  had  been  massacred.  The  aid,  though 
it  came  too  late  to  save  the  brave  detachment,  ar- 
rived just  in  time  to  save  the  second,  which  was  just 
falling  into  the  same  snare,  for  the  large  force  that 
had  annihilated  the  first  had  now  turned  on  this, 
and  its  fate  seemed  sealed.  The  reinforcements 
hurried  off  by  Stanley  found  it  completely  hemmed 
in  by  the  savages.  Two  soldiers  had  already  been 
killed,  the  captain  was  wounded,  and  in  a  few 
minutes  more  they  would  have  shared  the  fate  of 
the  first  detachment. 

It  was  at  this  critical  moment  they  arrived,  and 
suddenly  pouring  a  deadly  volley  into  the  rear  of 
the  assailants,  sent  them  to  the  right  about  with 
astonishing  quickness.  The  two  detachments 
now  wheeled  and  poured  a  concentrated  volley 
into  the  savages,  which  sent  them  flying  wildly 
over  the  plain.  A  swift  pursuit  was  commenced, 
but  the  fleet  enemy  could  not  be  overtaken,  and 
the  march  up  the  valley  was  scarcely  resisted. 
Stanley,  in  camp,  carefully  watched  the  progress 


222  ^^  ^^^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

of  the  fight,  which  could  be  distinguished  at  first 
by  the  volleys  of  his  soldiers,  and  when,  receding 
in  the  distance,  these  could  be  no  longer  heard, 
by  the  puffs  of  smoke  which  showed  where  the 
pursuit  led. 

But  at  length  clouds  of  smoke  of  a  different 
character  began  to  ascend  from  the  quiet  valley. 
To  the  right  and  left  the  dark  columns  obscured 
the  noonday  sun,  and  far  as  the  eye  could  reach, 
the  plain,  with  its  hundreds  of  villages  of  thatched 
huts,  presented  one  wide  conflagration,  till  the 
murky  mass  of  cloudy  vapor,  as  it  rolled  heaven- 
ward, made  it  appear  like  a  second  Sodom,  suffer- 
ing the  vengeance  of  heaven.  To  the  distance  of 
eight  miles,  Stanley  could  see  jets  of  smoke  that 
told  of  burning  villages.  He  had  delayed  to  the 
last  moment  hostile  action,  but  having  once  com- 
menced it  he  meant  to  leave  behind  him  no  power 
of  retaliation. 

It  was  a  victorious  but  sad  day,  and  the  return 
of  the  detachments  was  anything  but  a  triumphal 
march,  for  they  bore  back  twenty-one  dead  men, 
besides  the  wounded,  while  they  could  report  but 
thirty-five  of  the  enemy  killed.  So  little  difference 
in  the  number  of  the  slain,  when  one  was  the  pur- 
sued and  the  other  the  pursuing  party,  and  when 
the  former  was  armed  only  with  spears  and  bows, 
and  the  latter  with  the  deadly  rifle,  seems  at  first 
sight  unaccountable,  but  it  must  be  remembered 
that  the  unfortunate  detachment  that  was  sur- 


A  SUMMARY  RETRIBUTION.  223 

rounded  and  massacred  to  a  man,  furnished  almost 
the  entire  list  of  the  killed. 

The  camp  was  at  peace  that  night,  but  it  was  a 
sad  peace.  A  few  more  such  victories  as  this 
and  Stanley  would  be  left  without  an  expedition.    ; 

This  unfortunate  experience  with  these  people 
showed  the  danger  of  his  undertaking  a  new 
route.  His  object  was  not  to  travel  among  new 
people,  but  to  reach  the  lake  region  with  his  boat 
and  settle  great  geographical  problems  and  esta- 
blish certain  facts  having  an  intimate  bearing  on 
the  future  of  Africa.  Yet  by  his  chosen  course 
he  really  obtained  no  new  and  valuable  informa- 
tion but  imperiled  and  well-nigh  ruined  the  expe- 
dition fitted  out  with  so  much  expense  and  care. 

His  was  the  nearest  course  to  the  lake,  yet  the 
long  one  by  which  Speke  reached  it  was  the  safest. 
He  had  been  in  a  perilous  position,  and  it  was 
clearly  his  own  foresight  that  saved  him.  The 
appointment  of  a  courier  or  swift  runner  to  each 
detachment  to  act  as  a  telegraph,  would  probably 
have  occurred  to  few,  yet  this  certainly  saved  one 
detachment  from  destruction  and  how  much  more 
no  one  can  tell. 

But  he  was  not  satisfied  with  the  vengeance  he^ 
had  taken  and  the  devastation  he  had  wrought 
He  had  resolved  to  teach  those  savage  negroes  a 
lesson  on  the  danger  of  treachery  to  strangers, 
and  he  meant,  now  he  had  commenced  it,  to  make 
it  thorough  and  complete,  and  so  next  morning  he 


224  ^^  ^^^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA^ 

sent  off  sixty  men  to  proceed  to  the  farthest  end 
of  the  valley,  some  eight  miles  away,  and  destroy 
what  yet  remained ;  passing  on  through  the  ruins 
of  the  villages,  they  came  to  a  large  village  in  the 
extreme  northeast.  A  very  slight  resistance  was 
made  here,  and  they  entered  it  and  applied  the 
torch,  and  soon  it  shared  the  fate  of  all  the  rest. 
Before  they  destroyed  it,  however,  they  loaded 
themselves  with  grain.  Provisions  were  now 
plenty,  for  the  frightened  negroes  had  left  every- 
thing behind  them  in  their  flight.  There  was  no 
longer  any  need  of  purchasing  food,  the  valley 
was  depopulated,  and  all  the  accumulated  pro- 
visions of  the  inhabitants  was  at  the  mercy  of 
the  victors.  Finding  he  had  enough  to  last  the 
expedition  six  days,  Stanley  next  morning  started 
westward  before  daybreak,  and  was  soon  far 
away  from  this  valley  of  destruction,  leaving  the 
thoroughly  humbled  natives  to  crawl  back  to  the 
ashes  of  their  ruined  homes.  Without  further 
trouble,  in  three  days,  he  reached  Iramba.  Here 
he  halted  and  took  a  calm  survey  of  his  condition 
and  prospects.  He  found  that  out  of  the  more 
than  three  hundred  men  with  which  he  had  left 
the  coast,  but  one  hundred  and  ninety-four  re- 
mained. 

Sickness,  desertion  and  battle  had  reduced  his 
number  over  a  third  before  he  had  reached 
the  point  where  his  actual  labors  were  to  com- 
mence.     It  was   not  a  pleasant  look-out;   for^ 


CONFIDENCE  AMID  PERILS, 


225 


although  two  hundred  men,  well  armed  with  rifles, 
made  a  formidable  force  in  a  country  where  only 
arrows  and  spears  were  used,  still  this  heavy  ratio 
of  loss  must  stop,  or  the  expedition  itself  must 
fail.  He  was  not  in  a  country  where  he  could 
recruit  soldiers,  and  each  one  lost  was  a  dead  loss, 
and  thousands  of  miles  of  exploration  lay  before 
him,  in  prosecuting  which,  he  knew  not  how  many 
battles  would  be  fought,  nor  how  much  sickness 
would  have  to  be  encountered.  It  would  not 
seem  a  difficult  piece  of  arithmetical  calculation 
to  determine  how  long  three  hundred  men  would 
last  if  one-third  disappeared  in  three  months,  or 
how  many  men  it  would  require  to  prosecute  his 
labors  three  years.  But  Stanley  never  seemed 
to  act  as  though  he  thought  defeat  possible. 
Whether  his  faith  was  in  God,  himself,  or  his  star, 
it  was  nevertheless  a  strong  and  controlling  faith,. 
Still,  now  and  then  It  is  very  evident  that  he  was 
perfectly  conscious  of  the  desperate  nature  of  his 
condition,  and  felt  disease,  which  carried  off  his 
friends  and  retainers,  or  the  spear,  might  end,  at 
any  moment,  his  explorations  and  his  life. 

Though  out  of  Urimi  at  last,  yet  Stanley  found 
the  natives  of  Iramba  a  very  Httle  improvement  on 
those  of  the  former  district.  Mirambo  was  their 
terror,  and  hence  they  were  suspicious  of  all 
strangers.  Again  and  again  he  was  mistaken  for 
this  terrible  chieftain,  and  narrowly  escaped  being 
attacked.  In  fact,  this  formidable  warrior  wa» 
IS 


226  ^^  ^^^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

fighting  at  one  time  within  a  day's  march  of 
him. 

Urukuma  was  the  next  district  he  entered  after 
Iramba,  and  he  found  it  thickly  peopled  and  rich 
in  cattle.  It  consisted  for  the  most  part  of  rolling 
plains,  with  scattered  chains  of  jagged  hills.  He 
was  on  the  slope  that  led  to  the  Nyanza,  and  the 
descent  was  so  gradual,  that  he  expected  to  find 
the  lake,  whose  exploration  he  designed  to  make 
thorough  and  complete,  comparatively  shallow, 
although  it  covered  a  vast  area.  At  last  he 
reached  a  little  village,  not  a  hundred  yards  from 
the  shore,  and  encamped.  At  this  point  he  des- 
cribes the  topography  of  the  new  country  he  had 
passed  over.     He  says: 

"As  far  as  Western  Ugogo  I  may  pass  over 
without  attempting  to  describe  the  country,  as 
readers  may  obtain  a  detailed  account  of  it  from 
'How  I  Found  Livingstone.''  Thence  north  is  a 
new  country  to  all,  and  a  brief  description  of  it 
may  be  interesting  to  students  of  African  geo* 
graphy. 

"North  of  Mizanza  a  level  plain  extends  as  far 
as  the  frontier  of  Urandawi,  a  distance  of  thirty- 
five  miles  (English).  At  Mukondoku  the  altitude, 
as  indicated  by  two  first-rate  aneroids,  was  two 
thousand,  eight  hundred  feet.  At  Mtiwi,  twenty 
miles  north,  the  altitude  was  two  thousand  eight 
hundred  and  twenty-five  feet.  Diverging  west 
and  north-west,  we  ascend  the  slope  of  a  lengthy 


IMMENSE  TABLE^LANDS, 


227 


mountain-wall,  apparently,  but  which,  upon  arriv- 
ing at  the  summit,  we  ascertain  to  be  a  wide  pla- 
teau covered  with  forests.  This  plateau  has  an 
altitude  of  three  thousand  eight  hundred  feet  at  its 
eastern  extremity;  but,  as  it  extends  westward  it 
rises  to  a  height  of  four  thousand  five  hundred 
feet.  It  embraces  all  Uyanzi,  Unyanyembe,  Usu- 
kuma,  Urimi  and  Iramba — in  short,  all  that  part  of 
Central  Africa  lying  between  the  valley  of  the 
Rufiji  south  and  the  Victoria  Nyanza  north,  and 
the  mean  altitude  of  this  broad  upland  cannot 
exceed  four  thousand  five  hundred  feet.  From 
Mizanza  to  the  Nyanza  is  a  distance  of  nearly  three 
hundred  geographical  miles ;  yet,  at  no  part  of  this 
long  journey  did  the  aneroids  indicate  a  higher 
altitude  than  five  thousand  one  hundred  feet  above 
the  sea. 

"As  far  as  Urimi,  from  the  eastern  edge  of  the 
plateau,  the  land  is  covered  with  a  dense  jungle 
of  acacias,  which,  by  its  density,  strangles  all  other 
species  of  vegetation.  Here  and  there,  only  in 
the  cleft  of  a  rock,  a  giant  euphorbia  may  be  seen, 
sole  lord  of  its  sterile  domain.  The  soil  is  shal- 
low, and  consists  of  vegetable  mould,  mixed  largely 
with  sand  and  detritus  of  the  bare  rocks,  which 
crown  each  knoll  and  ridge,  and  which  testify  too 
plainly  to  the  violence  of  the  periodical  rains. 

"In  the  basin  of  Matongo,  in  Southern  Urimi» 
we  were  instructed  by  the  ruins  and  ridges,  relics 
of  a  loftier  upland,  of  what  has  been  effected  by 


228  ^^  ^^^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

nature  in  the  course  of  long  ages.  No  learned 
geological  savant  need  ever  expound  to  the 
traveler  who  views  these  rocky  ruins,  the  geolo- 
gical history  of  this  country.  From  a  distance  we 
viewed  the  glistening  naked  and  riven  rocks  as  a 
singular  scene ;  but  when  we  stood  among  them, 
and  noted  the  appearance  of  the  rocky  fragments 
of  granite,  gneiss  and  porphyry  peeled  as  it  were 
rind  after  rind,  or  leaf  after  leaf,  like  an  artichoke, 
until  the  rock  was  wasted  away,  it  seemed  as  if 
Dame  Nature  has  left  these  relics,  these  hilly 
skeletons,  to  demonstrate  her  laws  and  career. 
It  seemed  to  me  as  if  she  said,  'Lo,  and  behold 
this  broad  basin  of  Matongo,  with  its  teeming  vil- 
lages and  herds  of  cattle  and  fields  of  corn,  sur- 
rounded by  these  bare  rocks — in  primaeval  time 
this  land  was  covered  with  water,  it  was  the  bed 
of  a  vast  sea.  The  waters  were  dried,  leaving  a 
wide  expanse  of  level  land,  upon  which  I  caused 
heavy  rains  to  fall  five  months  out  of  each  year 
during  all  the  ages  that  have  elapsed  since  first 
the  hot  sunshine  fell  upon  the  soil.  The  rains 
washed  away  the  loose  sand  and  made  deep  fur- 
rows in  course  of  time,  until  in  certain  places  the 
rocky  kernel  under  the  soil  began  to  appear. 
The  furrows  became  enlarged,  the  waters  frittered 
away  their  banks  and  conveyed  the  earth  away  to 
lower  levels,  through  which  it  wore  away  a  chan- 
nel, first  through  the  soil  and  lastly  through  the 
rock  itself,  which  you  may  see  if  you  but  walk  to 


GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY, 


229 


the  bottom  of  that  basin.  You  will  there  behold 
a  channel  worn  through  the  solid  rock  some  fifty 
feet  in  depth;  and  as  you  look  on  that  you  will 
have  some  idea  of  the  power  and  force  of  the 
tropical  rains.  It  is  through  that  channel  that  the 
soil  robbed  from  these  rocks  has  been  carried 
away  toward  the  Nyanza  to  fill  its  depths  and  in 
time  make  dry  land  of  it.  Now  you  may  ask  how 
came  these  once  solid  rocks,  which  are  now  but 
skeletons  of  hills  and  stony  heaps,  to  be  thus  split 
into  so  many  fragments?  Have  you  never  seen 
the  effect  of  water  thrown  upon  lime?  The  solid 
rocks  have  been  broken  or  peeled  in  an  almost 
similar  manner.  The  tropic  sun  heated  the  face 
of  these  rocks  to  an  intense  heat,  and  the  cold 
rain  falling  upon  the  heated  surface  caused  them 
to  split  and  peel  as  you  see  them.' 

"  This  is  really  the  geological  history  of  this 
region  simply  told.  Ridge  after  ridge,  basin  after 
basin,  from  Western  Ugogo  to  the  Nyanza,  tells 
the  same  tale  ;  but  it  is  not  until  we  enter  Central 
Urimi,  that  we  begin  to  marvel  at  the  violence  of 
the  process  by  which  nature  has  transformed  the 
face  of  the  land.  For  here  the  perennial  springs 
and  rivulets  begin  to  unite  and  form  rivers,  after 
collecting  and  absorbing  the  moisture  from  the 
water-shed ;  and  these  rivers,  though  but  gentle 
streams  during  the  dry  season,  become  formidable 
during  the  rains.  It  is  in  Central  Urimi  that  the 
Nile  first  begins  to  levy  tribute  upon  Equatorial 


230  i^  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

Africa,  and  if  you  look  upon  the  map  and  draw 
a  lii>e  east  from  the  latitude  of  Ujiji  to  longitude 
thirty-five  degrees  you  will  strike  upon  the  sources 
of  the  Leewumbu,  which  is  the  extreme  southern 
feeder  of  the  Victoria  Nyanza. 

"  In  Iramba,  between  Mgongo  Tembo  and  Mom- 
biti,  we  came  upon  what  must  have  been  in  former 
times  an  arm  of  the  Victoria  Nyanza.  It  is  called 
the  Lumamberri  Plain,  after  a  river  of  that  name, 
and  is  about  forty  miles  in  width.  Its  altitude  is 
three  thousand  seven  hundred  and  seventy-five 
feet  above  the  sea  and  but  a  few  feet  above  Vic- 
toria Nyanza.  We  were  fortunate  in  crossing  the 
broad,  shallow  stream  in  the  dry  season,  for  dur- 
ing the  masika  or  rainy  season  the  plain  is  con- 
verted into  a  wide  lake. 

"The  Leewumbu  River,  after  a  course  of  a 
hundred  and  seventy-five  miles,  becomes  known 
as  the  Monaugh  River,  in  Usukuma.  After  an- 
other run  of  a  hundred  miles,  it  is  converted  into 
Shimeeyu,  under  which  name  it  enters  the  Vic- 
toria east  of  this  port  of  Kagehyi.  Roughly  the 
Shimeeyu  may  be  said  to  have  a  length  of  three 
hundred  and  fifty  miles." 


CHAPTER  xn. 

EXPLORATION  OF  THE  VICTORIA  NYANZA. 

STANLEY  felt,  as  he  stood  and  looked  off  on 
the  broad  expanse  of  water,  like  one  who 
had  achieved  a  great  victory,  and  he  said 
that  the  wealth  of  the  universe  could  not  then 
bribe  him  to  turn  back  from  his  work.  The  boat 
of  a  white  man  had  never  been  launched  on  its 
surface,  and  he  longed  to  see  the  Lady  Alice  afloat, 
that  he  might  change  the  guesses  of  Livingstone, 
Speke  and  others,  into  certainty.  He  had  started 
to  complete  Livingstone's  unfinished  work,  and 
now  he  was  in  a  fair  way  to  do  it.  How  much 
Cameron,  who  was  somewhere  in  the  interior  on 
the  same  mission,  had  accomplished,  he  did  not 
know,  he  only  knew  that  with  no  boat  at  his  com- 
mand, like  the  Lady  Alice,  that  he  had  transported 
through  so  many  hundreds  of  rryles  of  jungle,  his 
movements  would  be  very  much  crippled. 

He  now  mustered  his  entire  force,  to  see  what 
he  had  to  rely  on  before  setting  out,  and  found  it 
to  consist  of  three  white  men  and  one  hundred 
and  six  Wanguana  soldiers,  twenty-eight  having 
died  since  leaving  Itwru  thirty  days  before,  or  at 
an  average  of  nearly  one  a  day.  This  was  a 
gloomy  prospect.     Before  beginning  his  real  work 

231 


232 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


one-half  of  his  entire  expedition  had  disappeared. 
Dysentery  had  been  the  great  scourge  that  had 
thinned  their  ranks  so  fearfully.  Stanley  in  the 
first  place  was  not  a  physician,  while  even  those 
remedies  which  ordinarily  might  have  proved  ef- 
ficacious were  rendered  well-nigh  useless  by  the 
necessity  of  constant  marching.  Rest  alone  would 
have  cured  a  great  many,  but  he  felt  compelled  to 
march.  Whether  the  necessity  for  marching  with 
the  rapidity  he  did,  was  sufficiently  urgent  to  justify 
him  in  sacrificing  so  many  lives,  he  doubtless  is 
the  best  judge.  These  poor  men  were  not  ac- 
customed to  travel  at  the  rate  he  kept  them  mov- 
ing. Had  they  marched  as  leisurely  as  an  Arab 
caravan,  they  would  have  been  nine  months  or  a 
year  In  making  the  distance  which  Stanley  had  ac- 
complished in  the  short  space  of  one  hundred  and 
three  days. 

He  was  at  last  on  the  lake  that  Baker  hoped  to 
reach  with  his  steam  vessels,  and  here  he  expected 
to  meet  Gordon,  his  successor,  but  he  evidently 
had  not  yet  arri\*ed,  for  the  natives  told  him  that 
no  boats  had  been  seen  on  the  water.  They  re- 
lated strange  tales,  however,  of  the  people  inhab- 
iting the  shores.  One  told  him  of  a  race  of 
dwarfs,  another  of  a  tribe  of  giants,  another  still 
of  a  people  who  kept  a  breed  of  dogs  so  large 
that  even  Stanley's  mastiffs  were  small  In  com- 
parison. How  much  or  little  of  this  was  true,  he, 
of  course,  could  not  tell,  still  it  excited  his  curi- 


EXPLORATIONS,  233 

osity,  and  increased  his  desire  to  explore  the 
country. 

He  reached  the  lake  on  the  28th  of  February, 
and  in  eight  days  had  everything  ready,  and 
launched  his  boat.  He  selected  ten  good  oars- 
men, who,  with  the  steersman  and  himself,  com- 
posed the  boat's  crew,  and  the  whole  force  with 
which  he  was  to  overcome  all  the  difficulties  that 
he  might  encounter. 

The  camp  was  left  in  charge  of  Frank  Pocoke 
and  young  Barker.  Naming  the  large  body  of 
water,  into  which  the  Shimeeyu  and  Ruano  Rivers 
flowed,-  Speke  Bay,  in  honor  of  the  distinguished 
explorer,  he  sailed  east  along  the  irregular  coast. 
To-day  passing  a  district  thinly  populated,  to- 
morrow a  rugged  hill  country,  through  which  the 
elephants  wandered  in  immense  droves,  and  of 
course,  thronged  with  elephant  hunters,  he  passed 
various  tribes,  until  he  came  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Ruano  River,  discharging  a  large  volume  of  water 
into  Speke  Bay,  but  nothing  in  comparison  with 
the  Shimeeyu  and  the  Kagera,  the  two  great  river 
supplies  of  the  lake.  The  former  is  the  largest 
of  all,  and  at  its  mouth  a  mile  wide.  Its  length  is 
three  hundred  and  seventy  miles  and  is,  he  says, 
the  extreme  southern  source  of  the  Nile. 

The  water  he  named  Speke  Bay  is  on  the  north- 
eastern side,  and  where  he  crossed  it  about  twelve 
miles  wide.  Sterile  plains  succeeded  barren 
mountains,  thin   lines   of  vegetation    along    the 


224  ^^  "^^^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

borders  of  the  lake  alone  giving  space  for  cultiva- 
tion, came  and  went  until  they  reached  the  great 
island  of  Ukerewe,  divided  from  the  mainland 
only  by  a  narrow  channel.  This  was  a  true  oasis, 
for  it  was  covered  with  herds  of  cattle,  and  ver- 
due,  and  fruits,  and  rich  in  ivory.  He  found  the 
king  an  amiable  man,  and  his  subjects  a  peaceful, 
commercial  people.  Although  this  was  a  large 
island,  more  than  forty  miles  long,  the  king  owned 
several  of  the  neighboring  islands.  Nothing  of 
importance  occurred  on  this  voyage,  as  day  after 
day  they  wound  in  and  out  along  the  deeply  cor- 
rugated coast  or  sailed  by  islands,  the  people  on 
shore  all  being  friendly.  They  at  length  came  in 
sight  of  the  high  table-land  of  Majita,  which  Speke 
thought  to  be  an  island,  but  which  Stanley  demon- 
strated, by  actual  survey,  to  be  only  a  promontory. 
It  rises  some  three  thousand  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  lake,  and  is  surrounded  by  low  brown  plains, 
which,  to  the  distant  observer,  resemble  water. 

Stanley  continued  his  course  along  the  eastern 
shore  of  the  lake,  proceeding  northerly,  and  at 
last  reached  the  coast  of  the  Uriri  country,  a  dis- 
trict of  pastoral  land  dotted  over  with  fine  cattle. 
Bordering  on  this  is  Ugegeya,  a  land  of  fables  and 
wonders,  the  "El  Dorado''  of  slave  hunters  and 
traders  in  ivory.  It  is  the  natural  home  of  the 
elephant,  which  is  found  here  in  great  numbers. 
In  crossing  a  broad  bay  he  first  got  sight  of  it, 
rising  in  a  series  of  tall  mountains  before  him. 


JOURNAL  OF  THE  EXPLORATIONS,  235 

From  their  base  the  country  rolls  away  to  the  east 
in  one  vast  plain  twenty-five  miles  wide,  over  which 
roam  great  herds  of  cattle,  getting  their  own  liv- 
ing and  furnishing  plenty  of  meat  to  the  indolent 
inhabitants.  Stanley  constantly  inquired  of  the 
natives  concerning  the  country  inland,  its  character 
and  people,  and  was  told  many  wonderful  stories, 
in  which  it  was  impossible  to  say  how  much  fable 
was  mixed.  Among  other  things,  they  reported 
that  about  fifteen  days'  march  from  this  place, 
were  mountains  that  spouted  forth  fire  at  times 
and  smoke. 

Keeping  north,  he  says:  "We  pass  between 
the  Island  Ugingo  and  the  gigantic  mountains  of 
Ugegeya,  at  whose  base  the  Lady  Alice  seems  to 
crawl  like  a  mite  in  a  huge  cheese,  while  we  on 
board  admire  the  stupendous  height,  and  wonder 
at  the  deathly  silence  which  prevails  in  this  soli- 
tude, where  the  boisterous  winds  are  hushed  and 
the  turbulent  waves  are  as  tranquil  as  a  summer 
dream.  The  natives,  as  they  pass,  regard  this 
spot  with  superstition,  as  well  they  might,  for  the 
silent  majesty  of  these  dumb,  tall  mounts  awes  the 
very  storms  to  peace.  Let  the  tempests  bluster 
as  they  may  on  the  spacious  main  beyond  the 
cape,  in  this  nook,  sheltered  by  tall  Ugingo  isle 
and  lofty  Goshi  in  the  mainland,  they  inspire  no 
fear.  It  is. this  refuge  which  Goshi  promises  the 
distressed  canoemen  that  .causes  them  to  sing 
praises  of  Goshi,  and  to  cheer  one  another  when 


'236  ^^  ^^^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

wearied  and  benighted,  that  GoshI  is  near  to  pro- 
tect them/' 

Sailing  in  and  out  among  the  clustering  islands, 
they  see  two  low  isolated  islands  in  the  distance, 
and  make  toward  them  to  camp  there  for  the 
night.  "  There/'  says  Stanley,  "  under  the  over- 
spreading branches  of  a  mangrove  tree  we  dream 
of  unquiet  waters,  and  angry  surfs,  and  threaten- 
ing rocks,  to  find  ourselves  next  morning  tied  to 
an  island,  which,  from  its  peculiarity,  I  called 
Bridge  Island.  While  seeking  a  road  to  ascend 
the  island,  to  take  bearings,  I  discovered  a  natural 
bridge  of  basalt,  about  twenty  feet  in  length  and 
twelve  in  breadth,  under  which  one  might  repose 
comfortably,  and  from  one  side  see  the  waves 
lashed  to  fury  and  spend  their  strength  on  the 
stubborn  rocks,  which  form  the  foundation  of  the 
arch,  while  from  the  other  we  could  see  the  boat, 
secure  under  the  lee  of  the  island,  resting  on  a 
serene  and  placid  surface,  and  shaded  by  man- 
grove branches  from  the  hot  sun  of  the  equator. 
Its  neighborhood  is  remarkable  only  for  a  small 
cave,  the  haunt  of  fishermen.''  After  taking  a 
survey  of  the  neighboring  mainland,  he  hoisted 
sail  and  scudded  along  the  coast  before  a  freshen- 
ing breeze.  At  noon  he  found  himself,  by  obser- 
vation, to  be  under  the  equator.  Seeing  an  open* 
ing  in  the  lake  that  looked  like  the  mouth  of  a 
river,  he  sailed  into  it  to  find  it  was  only  a  deep 
bay.     Coming  in  sight  of  a  village,  he  anchored 


NA  VIC  A  TING  THE  LAKE.  2  "  7 

near  it  and  tried  ta  make  friends  with  some  wild- 
looking  fishermen  on  the  shore,  but  the  naked 
savages  only  "stared  at  them  from  under  pent- 
houses of  hair,  and  hastily  stole  away  to  tell  their 
families  of  the  strange  apparition  they  had  seen/' 
This  sail  of  one  hundred  miles  along  the  coast 
of  this  vast  lake,  though  somewhat  monotonous 
and  tame  in  its  details  to  the  reader,  furnished 
one  of  the  most  interesting  episodes  in  Stanley's 
life — not  because  the  scenery  was  new  and  beauti- 
ful, but  because  he,  with  his  white  sail,  and  fire- 
arms, and  strange  dress,  was  as  strange  and  won- 
derful to  these  natives  as  was  Columbus,  with  his 
ship,  and  cannon,  and  cavaliers  to  the  inhabitants 
of  the  New  World.  Though  often  differing  in  ap- 
pearance, and  language,  and  manner,  they  were 
almost  uniformly  friendly,  and  in  the  few  cases 
where  they  proved  hostile,  they  were  drunk, 
which  makes  civilized  men,  as  well  as  savages, 
quarrelsome.  It  was  frequently  very  difficult  to 
win  their  confidence,  and  often  Stanley  would 
spend  hours  in  endeavoring  to  remove  their  sus- 
picions. In  this  wild,  remote  home,  their  lives 
pass  on  without  change,  each  generation  treading 
in  the  footsteps  of  the  preceding  one — no  pro- 
gress, no  looking  forward  to  increased  knowledge 
or  new  developments.  There  were  no  new  dis- 
coveries to  arouse  their  mental  faculties,  no  aspira- 
tions for  a  better  condition,  and  they  were  as 
changeless  as  their  tropical  climate.     Hence,  to 


238 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


them  the  sudden  appearance  of  this  strange  phe- 
nomenon on  their  beautiful  lake  could  not  be 
accounted  for.  It  had  seemingly  dropped  from 
the  clouds,  and  at  the  first  discharge  of  a  pistol 
they  were  startled  and  filled  with  amazement. 

Stanley,  whether  rowing  or  sailing,  kept  close 
to  the  shore,  that  nothing  worthy  of  note  should 
escape  him,  frequently  landing  to  ascertain  the 
name  of  the  district  he  was  in,  the  bays  he  crossed, 
the  mountains  he  saw,  and  the  rivers  that  emptied 
into  the  lake.  In  short,  he  omitted  nothing  which 
was  necessary  to  a  complete  survey  and  know- 
ledge of  this  hitherto  unknown  body  of  water. 

After  leaving  this  bay,  they  came  in  a  short 
time  to  a  river  which  was  full  of  hippopotami. 
Two  huge  fellows  swam  so  near  the  boat  that 
Stanley  was  afraid  they  would  attack  it,  and 
ordered  the  men  to  pull  away  from  them. 
Although  hunting  these  huge  beasts  might  be 
very  exciting  sport,  and  a  tolerably  safe  one  in 
boats  properly  built,  to  expose  the  Lady  Alice, 
with  her  slender  cedar  sides,  to  their  tusks  would 
have  been  a  piece  of  folly  close  akin  to  madness. 
Her  safety  was  of  more  consequence  than  all  the 
hippopotami  in  Africa.  He  was  an  explorer,  not 
a  hunter ;  and  to  risk  all  the  future  of  the  former 
to  gratify  the  pleasure  of  the  latter  would  have 
shown  him  unfit  to  command  so  important  an 
expedidon  as  this.  Like  the  boat  that  carried 
Cscsar  and  his  fortunes,  the  Lady  Alice  bore  in 


A  NARR  O  W  ESCAPE. 


239 


her  frail  sides  destines  greater  than  the  imagi- 
nation can  conceive.  So  hoisting  sail  they  caught 
the  freshening  breeze  and  flew  along  the  ever-^ 
changing  shore  lined  with  villages,  out  of  which 
swarmed  a  vast  crowd  of  people,  showing  a  much 
more  densely  populated  district  than  they  had  yet 
seen.  He  found  the  name  of  it  to  be  Mahita; 
and  wishing  to  learn  the  names  of  some  of  the 
villages  he  saw,  the  boat  was  turned  toward  shore 
and  anchored  within  fifty  yards  of  it,  but  with  a 
cable  long  enough  to  let  them  drift  to  within  a  few 
feet  of  it.  Some  half  a  dozen  men  wearing  small 
shells  above  their  elbows  and  a  circle  round  their 
heads  came  down  to  the  beach,  opening  a  conver- 
sation with  them.  Stanley  learned  the  name  of 
the  country,  but  they  refused  to  tell  him  anything 
more  till  he  landed.  While  getting  ready  to  do 
so,  he  noticed  the  numbers  on  the  shore  increased 
with  astonishing  rapidity,  and  seemed  to  be  greatly 
excited.  This  aroused  his  suspicions,  and  he 
ordered  the  rowers  to  pull  off  again.  It  was 
lucky  he  did,  for  he  had  scarcely  put  three  lengths 
between  him  and  the  shore,  when  suddenly  out  of 
the  bushes  on  each  side  of  the  spot  where  he  was 
to  land  arose  a  forest  of  spears. 

Stanley  did  not  intend  to  go  away  entirely,  but 
lie  off  till  they  became  less  excited,  but  this  evi- 
dence of  treachery  caused  him  to  change  his  mind, 
and  he  ordered  the  sail  to  be  hoisted,  and  moved 
away  toward  a  point  at  the  mouth  of  the  cove, 


2AO  ^^  '^^^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

which,  with  the  wind  as  It  was  blowing,  they  could 
but  little  more  than  clear.  The  negroes  seeing 
this,  sent  up  a  loud  shout,  and  hurried  off  to  reach 
It  before  the  boat  did.  Stanley  penetrating  their 
design,  ordered  the  sail  to  be  lowered  and  the 
rowers  to  pull  dead  to  windward.  The  discom- 
fited savages  looked  on  in  amazement  to  see  the 
prize  slip  through  their  fingers  so  easily.  It  was 
a  narrow  escape,  for  had  Stanley  landed,  he  would 
doubtless  have  been  overpowered  and  killed  be^ 
fore  he  could  use  his  weapons. 

It  was  now  late  in  the  afternoon,  and  the  sav^ 
ages  made  no  attempt  to  follow  them,  and  at  dusk, 
coming  to  a  small  island,  they  tied  up  and  camped 
for  the  night,  lulled  to  sleep  by  the  murmur  of  the 
waves  on  the  beach. 

The  next  day  continuing  their  course,  they  at 
last  sailed  into  the  bay,  which  forms  the  north- 
eastern extremity  of  the  Victoria  Nyanza.  The 
eastern  side  of  this  bay  is  lined  with  bold  hills 
and  ridges,  but  at  the  extreme  end  wTiere  the 
Tagama  River  comes  in,  the  country  is  flat.  The 
expedition  now  began  to  move  westward  in  its 
slow  circumnavigation  of  the  lake,  and  came  at 
length  to  Muiwanda.  Here  they  found  the  sav- 
ages friendly,  and  they  landed  and  obtained  from 
them,  at  fair  prices,  such  provisions  and  vege- 
tables as  they  desired.  They  also  gave  Stanley 
all  the  information  they  could  of  the  neighboring 
country.     They  told  him  that  the  name  of  the  bay 


REVIEWING  THE  ROUTE,  241 

in  which  they  rode,  and  which  was  the  extreme 
northern  limit  of  the  lake,  was  Baringo^  They 
had  evidently  not  been  great  travelers  or  much 
visited  by  any  tribes  living  away  from  their  own 
coast,  for  they  said  that  they  had  never  heard  of 
any  other  lake,  great  or  small,  except  that  one — 
the  Nyanza.  Considering  that  this  whole  central 
region  of  Africa  is  dotted  with  lakes,  and  that  the 
Tanganika,  an  inland  sea,  is  not  three  hundred 
miles  distant,  it  is  evident  they  must  live  very 
much  isolated  from  any  but  their  own  people. 
Stanley  had  now  surveyed  the  southern,  eastern 
and  northeastern  shores  of  the  lake,  and  had  taken 
thirty-seven  observations  and  entered  almost 
every  nook  and  cove  of  this  vast  body  of  water. 
He  had  corrected  the  map  of  Speke,  made  on  the 
report  of  the  natives — proved  that  he  was  wrong 
in  his  latitude  of  the  lake,  and  taken  such  ample 
notes  that  he  could  make  out  an  accurate  chart 
of  i;hat  portion  he  had  thus  traversed.  He  makes 
the  extreme  eastern  point  of  the  lake  end  in  34° 
35'  east  longitude,  and  33'  43''  north  latitude. 

After  he  had  finished  his  exploration  thus  far, 
Stanley  went  over  his  route,  to  gain  a  general 
knowledge  of  the  country,  the  location  and  ap- 
proximate size  of  the  various  districts,  and  general 
character  of  the  inhabitants.  The  north  shore  he 
found  indented  with  deep  bays,  and  so  completely 
land-locked,  that  they  might  easily  be  mistaken 
for  separate  lakes,  while  the  islands  clustered 
Id 


2^2  2N  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 

SO  thickly  and  closely  to  the  shore  that  unless 
thoroughly  examined,  would  be  taken  for  portions 
of  the  mainland.  But  Stanley  has  traced  it  out 
so  plainly,  that  the  outline  of  the  shore  is  as  dis- 
tinct as  that  of  Lake  Ontario. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

EXPLORATION  OF  THE  VICTORIA  NYANZA. 

THE  voyage  continued  along  the  northern 
and  then  along  the  western  shore  of  the 
lake,  revealing  at  almost  every  turn  new 
features  of  scenery  and  some  new  formation  of 
land  or  new  characteristic  of  the  people,  till  the 
journey  was  like  an  ever-shifting  kaleidoscope. 
A  tribe  friendly  and  trusting  would  be  succeeded 
by  one  suspicious  or  treacherous,  so  that  it  was 
impossible  to  be  governed  by  any  general  rule, 
and  Stanley  was  compelled  to  be  constantly  on 
the  alert,  watching  the  motions  of  each  tribe  with- 
out reference  to  the  actions  of  the  last,  and  laying 
his  plans  accordingly.  He  continued  his  course 
down  the  western  shore  toward  his  camp  from 
which  he  started,  finding  this  side  more  densely 
populated  than  the  others,  and  the  tribes  that  oc- 
cupied it  of  a  more  independent,  fearless  char* 
acter,  and  more  inclined  to  hostilities. 

At  Uvuma,  an  independent  country  and  the 
largest  on  the  Victoria  Nyanza,  the  hostility  took 
a  more  determined  form..  The  natives  made  signs 
of  friendship  to  induce  Stanley's  party  to  come 
near  the  shore.  They  did  so,  sailing  up  to  within 
a  few  yards  of  it.     At  that  point  a  large  number 

243 


244  '  ^^  ^^^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

of  natives  were  hid  behind  the  trees,  who  sud* 
denly  emerged  and  hurled  a  shower  of  huge 
stones  at  the  boat  in  order  to  sink  it.  Stanley 
instantly  ordered  the  helm  to  be  put  hard  up,  and 
the  boat  was  quickly  steered  away  from  the  dan- 
gerous spot,  but  not  before  Stanley,  enraged  at  this 
act  of  treachery,  leveled  his  revolver  at  the 
wretches  and  dropped  one  of  them. 

Going  on  some  miles  farther,  they  entered  a 
channel  between  some  islands  and  the  shore, 
where  they  discovered  a  fleet  of  canoes,  thirteen 
in  number,  with  over  one  hundred  warriors  in  them, 
armed  with  shells,  and  spears,  and  slings.  The 
foremost  one  had  some  sweet  potatoes  aboard, 
which  one  of  the  natives  held  up  as  though  he 
wished  to  trade.  Stanley  ordered  the  crew  to 
cease  rowing,  but  as  the  breeze  was  light  the  sail 
Was  kept  up,  and  the  progress  was  so  slow  that 
this  canoe  soon  came  up.  While  he  was  bargain- 
ing for  the  potatoes,  the  other  boats  approached 
and  completely  surrounded  the  Lady  Alice  and 
began  to  reach  over  and  seize  everything  they 
could  lay  hands  on.  Stanley  warned  them  away 
with  his  gun,  when  they  jeered  at  him  and  im- 
mediately seized  their  spears,  while  one  man  held 
up  a  string  of  beads  he  had  stolen  and  dared 
Stanley  to  catch  him.  With  that  promptness  which 
has  many  a  time  saved  his  life,  the  latter  drew  his 
revolver  and  shot  the  villain  dead.  Spears  in- 
stantly flashed  in  the  air,  but  Stanley  seizing  his 


SOURCE  OF  THE  NILE.  24. C 

repeating  rifle  poured  shot  after  shot  into  them, 
knocking  over  three  of  them  in  as  many  seconds, 
when  the  amazed  warriors  turned  in  flight.  He 
then  seized  his  elephant  rifle  and  began  to  pour  its 
heavy  shot  into  their  canoes,  throwing  them  into 
the  wildest  confusion.  As  they  now  continued  on 
their  way,  an  occasional  shot  from  the  big  gun 
waked  the  echoes  of  the  shore  to  announce  be- 
forehand what  treatment  treachery  would  receive. 

As  they  kept  on  to  the  northward,  they  felt  the 
current  drawing  them  on,  and  soon  they  came  to 
the  Ripon  Falls,  their  foam  and  thunder  contrast- 
ing strangely  with  the  quietness  of  the  lake  a  short 
time  before,  and  the  silence  and  tranquility  of  the 
scene.  It  was  the  Nile  starting  on  its  long  journey 
to  the  Mediterranean,  fertilizing  Egypt  in  its  course. 
Coasting  westerly,  they  came  to  the  island  of 
Krina,  where  they  obtained  guides  to  conduct 
them  to  King  Mtesa,  the  most  renowned  king  of 
the  whole  region.  Sending  messengers  to  an- 
nounce to  the  king  his  arrival,  Stanley  continued 
to  coast  along  Uganda,  everywhere  treated  with 
kindness,  so  far  as  words  went,  but  very  niggardly 
in  fact. 

He  here  observed  a  curious  phenomenon.  He 
discovered  an  inlet  in  which  there  was  a  percepti- 
ble tide,  the  water  flowing  north  for  two  hours 
and  then  south  for  the  same  length  of  time.  On 
asking  the  guides  if  this  was  usual,  they  said  yes, 
and  it  was  common  to  all  the  inlets  on  the  coast 


246 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


of  Uganda.  At  Beya  they  were  welcomed  by 
a  fleet  of  canoes  sent  to  conduct  them  to  the 
kin<^. 

On  the  4th  of  April,  Stanley  landed,  amid  the 
wavhig  of  flags,  volleys  of  musketry  and  shouts 
of  two  thousand  people,  assembled  to  receive  him. 
The  chief  officer  then  conducted  him  to  comfort- 
able quarters,  where,  soon  aftex-,  sixteen  goats,  ten 
oxen,  widi  bananas,  sweet  potatoes,  plantains, 
chickens,  rice,  milk,  butter,  etc.,  etc.,  in  profuse 
quantities  were  sent  him. 

In  the  afternoon,  the  king  sent  word  to  his  guest, 
that  he  was  ready  to  receive  him.  Issuing  from 
his  quarters,  Stanley  found  himself  in  a  street 
eighty  feet  broad  and  half  a  mile  long,  lined  with 
the  personal  guards,  officers,  attendants  and  re- 
tinue of  the  king,  to  the  number  of  three  thousand. 
At  the  farther  end  of  this  avenue  was  the  king's 
residence,  and  as  Stanley  advanced  he  could  dimly 
see  the  form  of  the  king  in  the  entrance,  sitting  in 
a  chair.  At  every  step  volleys  of  musketry  were 
fired  and  flags  waved,  while  sixteen  drums  beaten 
together  kept  up  a  horrible  din.  As  he  ap- 
proached the  house,  the  king,  a  tall,  slender 
figure,  dressed  in  Arab  costume,  arose  and  ad- 
vancing held  out  his  hand  in  silence,  while  the 
drums  kept  up  their  loud  tattoo.  They  looked 
on  each  other  in  silence.  Stanley  was  greatly 
embarrassed  by  the  novelty  of  the  situation,  but 
soon  the  king,  taking  a  seat,  asked  him  to  be 


KING  MTESA. 


249 


seated  also,  while  a  hundred  of  his  captains  fol- 
lowed their  example. 

Lifting  his  eyes  to  the  king,  Stanley  saw  a  tall 
and  slender  man,  but  with  broad,  powerful  shoul- 
ders. His  eyes  were  large,  his  face  intelligent  and 
amiable,  while  his  mouth  and  nose  were  a  great 
improvement  on  those  of  the  ordinary  negro, 
being  more  like  those  of  a  Persian  Arab.  As 
soon  as  he  began  to  speak,  Stanley  was  captivated 
by  his  courteous,  affable  manner.  He  says  that 
he  was  infinitely  superior  to  the  sultan  of  Zanzi- 
bar, and  impressed  you  as  a  colored  gentleman 
who  had  learned  his  manners  by  contact  with 
civilized,  cultivated  men,  instead  of  being,  as  he 
was,  a  native  of  Central  Africa,  who  had  seen 
but  three  white  men  before  in  his  life.  Stan- 
ley was  astonished  at  his  innate  polish  and  he  felt 
he  had  found  a  friend  in  this  great  king  of  this 
part  of  the  country,  where  the  tribal  territories  are 
usually  so  small.  His  kingdom  extends  through 
three  degrees  of  longitude  and  almost  as  many  of 
latitude.  He  professes  Islamism  now,  and  no 
cruelties  are  practised  in  his  kingdom.  He  has  a 
guard  of  two  hundred  men,  renegades  from 
Baker's  expedition,  defalcators  from  Zanzibar,  and 
the  elite  of  his  own  kingdom. 

Behind  his  throne  or  arm-chair,  stood  his  gun- 
bearers,  shield-bearers  and  lance-bearers,  and  on 
either  side  were  arranged  his  chief  courtiers,  gov- 
ernors of  provinces,  etc.,  while  outside  streamed 


550   '  /AT  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

away  the  long  line  of  his  warriors,  beginning  with 
the  drummers  and  goma-beaters.  Mtesa  asked 
many  intelligent  questions,  and  Stanley  found  that 
this  was  not  his  home,  but  that  he  had  come  there 
with  that  immense  throng  of  warriors  to  shoot 
birds.  In  two  or  three  days,  he  proposed  to 
return  to  his  capital  at  Ulagala  or  Uragara  (it  is 
difficult  to  tell  which  is  right).  The  first  day,  for 
Stanley's  entertainment,  the  king  gave  a  grand 
naval  review  with  eighty  canoes,  which  made  quite 
an  imposing  display,  which  the  king  with  his  three 
hundred  wives  and  Stanley  viewed  from  shore. 
The.  crews  consisted  of  two  thousand  five  hundred 
men  or  more.  The  second  day,  the  king  led  his 
fleet  in  person  to  show  his  prowess  in  shooting 
birds.  The  third  day,  the  troops  were  exercised 
in  general  military  movements  and  at  target  prac- 
tice, and  on  the  fourth,  the  march  was  taken  up 
for  the  capital. 

In  Mtesa  Stanley  sees  the  hope  of  Central 
Africa.  He  is  a  natural  born  kinof  and  tries  to 
imitate  the  manners,  as  he  understands  them,  of 
European  monarchs.  He  has  constructed  broad 
roads  which  will  be  ready  for  vehicles  whenever 
they  are  introduced.  The  road  they  traveled  ^in- 
creased from  twenty  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
as  they  approached  the  capital,  which  crowned  a 
commandinor  eminence  overlookinor  a  beautiful 
country  covered  widi  tropical  fruit  and  trees. 
JIuts  are  not  very  imposing,  but  a  tall  flagstaff  and 


ROYALLY  ENTERTAINED,  r25i 

an  immense  flag  gave  some  dignity  to  the  sur- 
roundings. 

The  capital  is  composed  of  a  vast  collection  of 
huts  on  an  eminence  crowned  by  the  royal  quar- 
ters, around  which  run  five  several  palisades  and 
circular  courts,  between  which  and  the  city  runs  a 
circular  road  from  one  hundred  to  two  hundred 
feet  in  width,  from  whence  radiate  six  or  seven 
magnificent  avenues  lined  with  gardens  and 
huts. 

The  next  day,  Stanley  was  introduced  into  the 
palace  in  state.  The  guards  were  clothed  in  white 
cotton  dresses,  while  the  chiefs  were  attired  in 
rich  Arab  costumes.  This  palace  was  a  large, 
lofty  structure  built  of  grass  and  cane,  while  tall 
trunks  of  trees  upheld  the  roof — covered,  inside 
with  cloth  sheeting.  On  the  fourth  day,  the  ex- 
citing news  was  received  that  another  white  man 
was  approaching  the  capital.  It  proved  to  be 
Colonel  Lerant  de  Bellfonds  of  the  Egyptian  ser- 
vice, who  had  been  dispatched  by  Colonel  Gordon 
to  make  a  treaty  of  commerce  with  the  king  and 
the  khedive  of  Egypt. 

This  Mtesa,  we  said,  was  a  Mohammedan,  hav- 
ing been  converted  by  Khamis  Ben  Abdullah  some 
four  or  five  years  before.  This  Arab,  from  Mus- 
cat, was  a  man  of  magnificent  presence^  of  noble 
descent,  and  very  rich,  and  dressed  in  splendid 
Oriental  costume.  Mtesa  became  fascinated  with 
him,  and  the  latter  stayed  with  the  king  over  a 


252  ^^  ^^^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 

year,  giving  him  royal  presents  and  dressing  him 
in  gorgeous  attire. 

No  wonder  this  brilliant  stranger  became  to 
such  a  heathen  a  true  missionary.  But  Stanley, 
in  a  conversation  with  the  king,  soon  upset  his 
new  faith,  and  he  agreed  at  once  to  observe  the 
Christian  as  well  as  the  Moslem  Sabbath,  to  which 
his  captains  also  agreed.  He,  moreover,  caused 
the  Ten  Commandments,  the  Lord's  Prayer, 
and  the  Golden  Rule,  "Thou  shalt  love  thy  neigh- 
bor as  thyself,''  to  be  written  on  a  board  for  his 
daily  perusal.  In  stating  this  remarkable  fact, 
Stanley  says ;  "  Though  I  am  no  missionary,  I  shall 
begin  to  think  I  may  become  one  if  such  success 
is  so  feasible;"  and  exclaims,  "Oh,  that  some 
pious,  practical  missionary  would  come  here. 
What  a  field  and  harvest,  ripe  for  the  sickle  of 
the  Gospel.  Mtesa  would  give  him  everything 
he  desired — houses,  cattle,  lands,  ivory,  etc.  He 
might  call  a  province  his  own  in  one  day."  But  he 
says  he  must  not  be  a  theological  one,  nor  a  mis- 
sionary of  creeds,  but  a  practical  Christian,  tied  to 
no  church  or  sect,  but  simply  profess  God  and  His 
Son,  and  Hve  a  blameless  life  and  be  able  to  in- 
struct the  people  in  building  houses,  cultivating 
land,  and  in  all  those  things  that  make  up  human 
civilization.  Such  a  man,  Stanley  says,  would  be- 
come the  temporal  saviour  of  Africa.  Mtesa 
begged  Stanley  to  tell  such  men  to  come,  and  he 
would  give  them  all  they  wanted. 


THE  NEEDED  MISSIONAR  Y.  253 

The  subjects  of  this  heathen  king  number  not 
far  from  two  millions,  and  Stanley  affirms  that  one 
good  missionary  among  them  would  accomplish 
more  toward  the  regeneration  of  Africa  in  one 
year  than  all  other  missionaries  on  the  continent 
put  together.  He  suggests  that  the  mission 
should  bring  to  Mtesa  several  suits  of  military 
clothes,  heavily  embroidered,  pistols,  swords,  din- 
ner-service, etc.,  etc.  This  sounds  rather  strange 
to  the  modern  missionary,  and  seems  like  trusting 
too  much  to  "  carnal  weapons,"  but  it  is  eminently 
practical.  Anything  to  give  the  missionary  a  firm 
footing  on  which  to  begin  his  labors  is  desirable, 
if  not  wrong  in  itself  or  leading  to  wrong.  For 
its  own  use  the  mission  should,  he  says,  bring  also 
hammers,  saws,  augers,  drills  for  blasting,  and 
blacksmith  and  carpenter-tools,  etc.,  etc.  In  short, 
the  missionary  should  not  attempt  to  convert  the 
black  man  to  his  religious  views  simply  by  preach- 
ing Christ,  but  that  civilization,  the  hand-maiden 
of  religion,  should  move  side  by  side  with  it  in 
equal  step.  The  practical  effect  of  the  mission- 
ary work,  in  order  to  influence  the  natives,  must 
not  be  merely  a  moral  change,  which  causes  the 
convert  to  abjure  the  rites  and  follies  of  Pagan- 
ism, but  to  lift  the  entire  people,  whether  converted 
or  not  to  Christianity,  to  a  higher  plane  of  civili- 
zation. We  know  there  are  different  theories  on 
this  subject,  but  we  think  that  Stanley's  mode 
might  safely  be  tried.   It  was  tried,  after  a  fashion. 


254 


IN  7 HE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 


almost   immediately,  but  the   station   has  been 
broken  up  and  the  missionaries  murdered. 

Perhaps  it  is  as  good  a  place  here  as  anywhere 
to  correct  a  wrong-  statement  that  has  been  going 
the  rounds  of  the  papers,  which  puts  Stanley  in  a 
false  Hght.  It  was  not  pretended  that  King  Mtesa 
had  anything  to  do  with  this  outrage,  but  that  a 
tribe  With  which  Stanley  had  l:ad  a  fight,  killing 
some  of  its  number,  committed  it  in  revenge  for 
what  he  did.  The  truth  is,  the  mission  was  esta- 
blished by  enthusiasts,  and  some  three  or  four 
started  with  false  views  and  hopes  entirely.  Only 
two  of  them  reached  the  ground,  one  of  them  not 
being  a  minister.  They  were,  however,  well  re- 
ceived, and  allowed  to  go  to  work.  The  king,  or 
chief  of  a  neighboring  tribe,  had  a  daughter  with 
whom  a  native  fell  in  love.  This  man  was  repug- 
nant to  the  father,  and  he  refused  to  let  him  have 
his  daughter  for  a  wife.  The  consequence  was 
they  eloped  and  fled  to  the  island  on  which  the 
missionaries  were  stationed,  and  placed  themselves 
under  their  protection  and  remained  with  them. 
The  enraged  savage  beard  of  this,  and  doubtless 
believing  that  the  missionaries  had  connived  at 
the  elopement — certainly  harbored  the  fugitives 
against  his  wish — attacked  the  station  and  mur- 
dered the  missionaries.  How  much  or  how  little 
they  were  to  blame,  or,  if  not  guilty  of  any  wrong, 
how  unwisely  they  acted,  they  unfortunately  do 
not  live  to  tell  us.     But  Stanley's  conduct  in  that 


WILD  JUSTICE. 


255 


region  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  tragedy.  It 
was  an  act  of  wild  justice  by  an  enraged  and 
savage  chieftain,  and  militates  in  no  way  against 
carrying  out  the  project  of  Stanley. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

EXPLORATION  OF  THE  VICTORIA  NYANZA. 

THOUGH  this  royal  hospitality  was  very 
grateful  after  his  long  toils,  and  though 
intercourse  with  a  white  man  in  that  re- 
mote land  was  refreshing,  and  though  he  longed 
to  rest,  yet  Stanley  felt  he  must  be  about  his  work. 
To  finish  this  would  require  much  time,  and  he 
had  now  been  long  absent  from  his  men,  who 
might  prove  intractable  while  he  was  away,  and  he 
was  anxious  to  get  back,  for  the  exploration  of 
this  lake  was  only  the  beginning  of  what  he  pro- 
posed to  do: 

With  two  canoes  belonging  to  his  friend,  King 
Mtesa,  accompanying  him  as  an  escort  until  the 
grand  admiral  of  his  sable  majesty,  Magassa,  who, 
with  thirty  canoes,  had  been  detached  for  his 
service,  should  overtake  him,  he  set  sail  from  the 
river,  and  camped  that  night  on  a  smooth,  sandy 
beach,  at  a  point  called  Kagya.  The  natives  who 
lived  there  received  them  in  a  friendly,  and  for 
African  negroes,  hospitable  manner.  Stanley 
took  this  as  a  good  augury  of  the  reception  he 
should  meet  with  along  the  coast  of  Usongora, 
which  he  designed  to  explore. 

In  the  morning  he  again  set  sail,  and  sweeping 

(256) 


A  NIGHT  SURPRISE, 


^S7 


leisurely  along,  came  in  the  afternoon  to  the  vil- 
lage of  Makongo.  As  the  Lady  Alice  approached 
the  shore,  he  saw  a  crowd  of  naked  savages 
squatted  on  the  ground,  sucking  the  everlasting 
pombe,  or  beer,  through  a  straw,  just  as  white 
men  suck  punch  or  a  sherry  cobbler.  As  the  boat 
reached  the  shore,  the  chief,  with  the  vacant  stare 
of  a  drunkard,  arose  and  reeled  toward  him  and 
welcomed  him  in  a  friendly,  though  maudlin  man- 
ner. The  natives  also  appeared  good-natured 
and  quite  content  with  their  arrival.  After  they 
had  satisfied  their  curiosity  by  examining  him  and 
his  boat,  they  went  away,  leaving  him  to  arrange 
his  camp  for  the  night  and  prepare  his  supper. 

The  sun  went  down  in  glory  beyond  the  purple 
mountains — a  slight  ripple  dimpled  the  surface  of 
the  lake,  while  slender  columns  of  smoke  ascended 
here  and  there  along  the  shore  from  the  huts  of 
the  natives  ;  and  all  was  calm  and  peaceful,  though 
wild  and  lonely.  As  night  came  down,  and  the 
stars,  one  by  one,  came  out  in  the  tropical  sky, 
Stanley  and  his  companions  stretched  themselves 
on  their  mats,  and,  unsuspicious  of  danger,  fell 
asleep.  About  lo  o'clock  he  was  suddenly 
awakened  by  a  loud  and  hurried  beating  of  drums, 
with  ever  and  anon  a  chorus  of  shrieks  and  yells 
that  rung  through  the  clear,  still  air  with  a  distinct- 
ness and  sharpness  that  made  the  blood  shiver, 
Stanley  immediately  aroused  his  men,  and  they 
listened,  wondering  what  it  foreboded.  The  lake 
17 


258 


IN  THE   WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 


was  still  below,  and  the  heavens  calm  and  serene 
above,  but  all  around  it  seemed  as  if  demons  of 
the  infernal  regions  were  out  on  their  orgies. 
Stanley  thought  it  was  the  forerunner  of  an  attack 
on  the  camp,  but  Mtesa's  men,  the  Waganda,  told 
him  that  the  drumming  and  yelling  were  the  wild 
welcome  of  the  natives  to  a  stranger.  He  doubted 
it,  for  he  had  seen  too  many  savage  tribes,  and 
knew  their  customs  too  well  to  believe  this  blood- 
curdling, discordant  din  was  a  welcome  to  him. 

It  is  strange  that  he  did  not  at  once  quietly 
launch  his  boat  and  lie  off  the  rest  of  the  night  a 
little  way  from  the  shore  till  morning,  and  see 
what  it  all  meant.  It  would  seem  that  ordinary 
prudence  would  have  prompted  this.  His  neglect 
to  do  so,  very  nearly  cost  him  his  life,  and  ended 
there  his  explorations.  For  some  reason  or  other, 
which  he  does  not  give,  he  determined  to  remain 
where  he  was,  contenting  himself  with  the  pre- 
caution of  placing  his  weapons  close  beside  him, 
and  directing  his  eleven  men  to  load  their  guns  and 
put  them  under  their  mats.  He  lay  down  again, 
but  not  to  sleep,  for  all  night  long  the  furious  beat 
of  drums  and  unearthly  yells  rang  out  over  the 
lake  keeping  him  not  only  awake,  but  anxious. 

At  daybreak  he  arose,  and  as  he  stepped  out  of 
his  tent,  he  started  as  if  he  had  seen  an  apparition, 
for  in  the  gray  light  of  morning,  he  saw  five  hun- 
dred naked,  motionless  forms,  with  bows,  shields 
and  spears,  standing  in  a  semicircle  around  him, 


A  NARROW  ESCAPE, 


259 


and  completely  cutting  him  off  from  his  boat  and 
the  lake.  It  was  a  fearful  moment,  and  to  his 
inquiry  what  it  meant,  no  answer  was  givea 
There  was  no  shouting  or  yelling,  none  of  the 
frantric  gesticulations  so  common  to  the  African 
savage.  On  the  contrary,  they  wore  a  calm  and 
composed,  though  stern  and  determined  aspect. 
Shoulder  to  shoulder  like  a  regiment  of  soldiers 
they  stood,  the  forest  of  spears  above  them  glitter- 
ing in  the  early  light.  There  was  nothing  to  be 
done — Stanley  was  entrapped,  and  with  the  first 
attempt  to  escape  or  seize  his  rifle  would  be  trans- 
fixed by  a  hundred  spears.  It  was  too  late  to  re- 
pent the  folly  of  not  heeding  the  warning  of  the 
night  before,  and  so  he  calmly  stood  and  faced 
the  crowd  of  stern,  malignant  faces,  For  some 
minutes  this  solitary  white  man  met  glance  for 
glance,  when  the  drunken  chief  of  the  day  before 
stalked  into  the  semicircle,  and  with  a*stick  which 
he  held  in  his  hand  forced  back  the  savages  by 
flourishing  it  in  their  faces.  He  then  advanced, 
and  striking  the  boat  a  furious  blow,  shouted  "be 
off,''  and  to  facilitate  matters,  took  hold  and 
helped  launch  it.  Stanley  was  only  too  glad  to 
obey  him,  and  his  heart  bounded  within  him  as  he 
felt  the  keel  gliding  into  deep  water,  and  soon  a 
hundred  rods  were  between  him  and  the  savages 
that  lined  the  shore.  The  Waganda  were  still  on 
the  beach,  and  Stanley  prepared  to  sweep  it  with 
a  murderous  fire  the  moment  they  were  attacked. 


26o  ^^  ^-^^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

So  dense  was  the  crowd  of  natives,  that  had  he 
fired  at  that  close  range,  he  would  have  mowed 
them  down  with  fearful  slaughter.  But  although 
there  was  much  loud  wrangling  and  altercation, 
they  were,  at  length,  allowed  to  embark,  and  fol- 
lowed him  as  he  sailed  away  toward  the  isle  of 
Musua.  He  had  learned  a  lesson  that  he  did  not 
soon  forget. 

The  whole  had  been  a  strange  proceeding,  and 
why  he  was  not  killed,  when  so  completely  in  their 
power,  can  be  accounted  for  only  on  the  ground 
that  they  were  in  Mtesa's  dominions,  and  feared 
he  would  take  terrible  revenge  for  the  murder. 
Later  in  the  day  this  drunken  chief  came  to  visit 
him  on  the  island,  and  demanded  why  he  had 
come  and  what  he  wanted.  Being  told,  he  went 
away,  and  sent  three  branches  of  bananas,  and  left 
him  and  his  party  to  their  fate.  They  rested  here 
quietly  till  •afternoon,  when  they  saw  Magassa's 
fleet  coming  slowly  down  the  lake,  steering  for  a 
neighboring  island.  The  canoes  were  beached 
and  the  men  disembarked  and  began  to  prepare 
their  camp  for  the  night.  Stanley  was  getting 
impatient  at  these  delays,  and  thinking  he  would 
quicken  Magassa's  movements  by  hastening  for- 
ward, he  set  sail  for  Alice  Island,  thirty-five  miles 
distant.  The  two  chiefs,  with  the  escorting  canoes* 
accompanied  him  for  about  a  mile  and  a  half,  but, 
getting  alarmed  at  the  aspect  of  the  weather, 
turned  back,  shouting,  as  they  did  so,  that  as  soon 


IN  A  STORM.  261 

as  It  moderated  they  would  follow.  Bowling  along 
before  a  spanking  breeze,  the  little  craft  danced 
gayly  over  the  cresting  waves,  and  when  night 
came  down  and  darkness  fell  on  the  lone4y  lake, 
kept  steadily  on  and,  finally,  at  midnight  reached 
the  island,  where  they  luckily  struck  upon  a 
sheltered  cove  and  came  to  anchor.  When  morn- 
ing dawned  they  found  they  were  almost  against 
the  base  of  a  beetling  cliff,  with  overhanging  rocks 
all  around  them,  dotted  with  the  fires  of  the  na- 
tives. These  came  down  to  the  shore  holding 
green  wisps  of  grass  in  their  hands  as  tokens  of 
friendliness.  Stanley  and  his  men  were  hungry, 
and  now  rejoiced  in  the  pro5?pect  of  a  good  break- 
fast. But  these  friendly  nadves,  seeing  their  need, 
became  so  extortionate  in  their  demands  that  they 
would  not  trade  with  them,  and  Stanley  determined 
to  steer  for  Bumbirch  Island,  twenty-five  miles  dis- 
tant, and  there  obtain  food. 

The  breeze  was  light  and  they  made  slow  head- 
way, and  it  was  evidently  going  to  be  a  long  sail 
to  the  island.  As  the  sun  went  down,  huge  black 
clouds  began  to  roll  up  the  sky,  traversed  by 
lightning,  while  the  low  growl  of  thunder  foretold 
a  coming  storm.  As  the  clouds  rose  higher  and 
higher  the  lightning  became  more  vivid,  and  the 
thunder  broke  with  startling  peals  along  the  water, 
and  soon  the  rain  came  down  in  torrents,  drench- 
ing them  to  the  skin.  The  waves  began  to  rise 
while  darkness,  black  as  midnight,  settled  down 


262  I^  THE   WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 

on  the  lake.  The  little  craft  tossed  wildly  on  the 
water,  and  the  prospect  before  them  looked  gloomy 
enough.  Fortunately,  about  midnight,  they  came 
upon  Pocoke  Island,  and  anchored  under  its  lee 
amid  thunder  and  lightning,  and  rain,  and  the  angry 
roar  of  the  surf  on  every  side.  All  night  long  the 
flashes  lit  up  the  angry  scene,  while  the  heavy, 
tropical  thunder  shook  the  bosom  of  the  lake. 
The  haven  they  had  reached  was  so  poor  a  pro- 
tection that  all  hands  were  kept  bailing,  to  pre- 
vent the  overstrained  boat  from  foundering  at  her 
anchor. 

We  have  a  very  faint  idea  in  our  northern  lati- 
tudes of  what  a  thunder-storm  is  in  the  tropics, 
and  the  slight  affair  tlat  Stanley  made  of  it  is  one 
of  those  apparantly  insignificant,  and  yet  most 
striking  illustrations  of  his  character.  Storms  on 
the  water — starvation  on  land — deadly  perils  of 
all  kinds  are  spoken  of  by  him  as  one  would 
speak  of  the  ordinary  incidents  of  travel.  He  has 
no  time,  and  apparently  no  taste,  for  sensational 
writing ;  or  perhaps  it  would  be  nearer  the  truth 
to  say — in  his  cool  courage,  calm  self-reliance  and 
apparent  contempt  of  death  he  does  not  see  the 
dramatic  side  of  the  scenes  in  which  he  performs 
so  important  a  part.  The  most  tragic  events — 
the  most  perilous  crises  are  treated  by  him  as 
ordinary  events.  An  escape  so  narrow  that  one's 
heart  stops  beating  as  he  contemplates  it,  he  nar- 
rates with  as  much  coolness  and  apparent  indif- 


A   WELCOME  SIGHT. 


2^Z 


ferance  as  he  would  his  deliverance  from  a  dis- 
agreeable companion. 

In  the  morning,  Stanley,  as  he  looked  around 
him  and  saw  the  surf  breaking  on  every  side, 
ordered  the  anchor  up  and  the  sail  hoisted,  for  this 
was  too  dangerous  a  place  for  the  Lady  Alice.  The 
thunder-storm  had  passed,  and  a  stiff  northeast 
breeze  had  sprung  up,  before  which  he  bowled 
swiftly  along,  and  in  three  hou^rs  reached  the  mouth 
of  a  quiet  cove  near  the  village  of  Kajuri,  at  the 
southeastern  extremity  of  Bumbirch  Island.  After 
the  storm  and  peril  of  the  last  forty-eight  hours, 
it  was  a  welcome  sight  thc^t  greeted  them.  The 
green  slopes  of  this  gerri  set  in  the  sparkling 
waters  were  laden  with  fruits  and  covered  with 
cattle.  Groves  of  banana^,  herds  of  cattle  lazily 
feeding,  and  flocks  of  goats  promised  an  abun- 
dance of  food ;  and  Stanley  and  his  men,  as  they 
drew  near  the  lovely,  inviting  shore,  reveled  in  an- 
ticipation of  the  rest  and  good  cheer  awaiting 
them.  Filled  with  the  most  peaceful  intentions 
themselves — their  hearts  made  glad  at  the  sight 
Df  the  bountiful  provisions  before  them — they  did 
not  dream  of  any  hostility,  when  suddenly  they 
heard  a  wild,  shrill  war-cry  from  the  plateau  above 
the  huts  of  the  village  -near  the  shore,  on  which 
were  gathered  a  crowd  of  excited  men.  Stanley 
was  surprised  at  this  unexpected  hostile  demon- 
stration, and  halted  just  as  the  boat  was  about  to 
ground,  to  ascertain  what  it  meant     The  savages 


264 


IN  THE   WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


i>  the  meantime  were  rushing  wildly  toward  the 
shor^  in  front  of  where  the  boat  lay  rocking  on 
the  Wc  ter.  As  they  approached,  they  suddenly 
changea  their  warlike  attitude,  and,  ceasing  their 
loud  yells,  assumed  a  friendly  manner,  and  invited 
them  to  lanC^  in  tones  and  gestures  so  kind  and 
affable  that  Sta^^^ley's  first  suspicions  were  at  once 
disarmed,  and  he  ordered  the  rowers  to  send  the 
boat  ashore.  But  th^e  moment  the  keel  grated  on 
the  pebbly  beach,  aliNthis  friendliness  of  manner 
changed,  and  the  nak^-^d  savages  rushed  into  the 
water,  and,  seizing  the  boat,  lifted  it  up  bodily  and, 
with  all  on  board,  cari?ied  it  high  and  dry  on  the 
bank. 

Stanley  was  terribh^-^  aroused  at  this  sudden 
treachery,  and  reckles-^  of  consequences,  deter- 
mined to  avenge  it,  and  twice  he  raised  his  re- 
volver to  shoot  down  the  audacious  wretches,  but 
his  crew  begged  him  to  desist,  declaring  earnestly 
that  these  people  were  friends,  and  that  if  he 
wouid  wait  a  few  minutes,  he  would  see  that  all 
was  right.  He  accordingly  sat  down  in  the  stern 
sheets  and  waited  to  see  the  end.  In  the  mean« 
time,  the  savages  came  leaping  from  the  hill-sides, 
tossing  their  naked  limbs  in  the  air,  and  uttering 
loud  yells,  till  a  wild,  frantic  multitude  completely 
surrounded  the  boat  in  which  Stanley  still  sat  un- 
moved and  calm.  The  wretches  seemed  crazed 
with  passion,  and  poised  their  spears  as  if  about 
to  strike  him,  and  drew  their  arrows  to  the  head, 


A  TREACHEROUS  TRICK. 


267 


one  discharge  of  which  would  have  riddled  Stan- 
ley, struck  the  boat  by  his  side  with  their  spear 
handles,  gnashed  their  teeth,  foamed  at  the  mouth, 
and  yelled  till  their  eyes  seemed  bursting  from 
their  sockets.  Stanley,  however,  never  moved 
nor  uttered  a  word.  His  life  did  not  seem  worth 
a  thought  in  that  frenzied,  demoniacal  crowd.  But 
resistance  and  expostulation  were  alike  useless, 
and  he  could  do  nothing  but  wait  tbe  final  assault, 
and  then  sell  his  life  dearly  as  possible. 

For  some  strange,  unaccountable  reason,  their 
chief,  Thekha,  kept  them  from  the  last  act  of  vio- 
lence, and  at  last  so  quieted  them  that  Stanley 
calmly  asked  him  how  much  he  demanded  to  let  him 
go.  The  most  curious  part  of  this  whole  affair  is, 
that  the  chief  condescended  to  enter  into  negotia- 
tions with  Stanley.  Everything  the  latter  had  was 
in  the  boat,  and  he  had  only  to  give  the  word,  and 
in  five  minutes  all  was  his.  But  instead  of  doing 
this,  he  struck  up  a  bargain  with  Stanley,  and 
agreed  to  let  him  off  for  four  cloths  and  ten  neck- 
laces of  large  beads.  Stanley  at  once  took  them 
from  his  packages  and  gave  them  to  him.  But 
no  sooner  had  he  received  them,  than  he  gave  a 
quick  order  to  his  men  to  seize  the  oars  of  the 
boat.  In  a  twinkling,  before  Stanley  had  time  to 
think  what  they  were  about,  the  oars  were  caught 
up  and  carried  away.  The  natives  seeing  through 
the  treacherous  trick,  enjoyed  it  thoroughly,  and 
their  loud  laughing  jeers   roused  all  the  devil  in 


268  IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

Stanley's  nature,  but  he  still  said  nothing.  Hav- 
ing got  possession  of  the  oars,  they  thought  he 
was  helpless  as  a  tortoise  on  his  back,  and  became 
quiet,  seemingly  enjoying  the  white  man's  helpless- 
ness. Having  no  fear  of  his  escape,  they  at  noon 
leisurely  walked  to  their  huts  to  get  their  noonday 
meal,  and  to  discuss  what  the  next  move  should  be. 
Stanley  says  he  was  not  idle,  he  wished  to  impose 
on  the  savages  by  his  indifferent  manner,  but  he 
was  all  the  while  planning  how  to  escape  and  the 
best  mode  of  meeting  the  attack  when  it  came. 

While  the  savages  were  at  their  dinner,  a  ne- 
gress  came  near  them  and  told  them  to  eat  honey 
with  Thekha,  as  it  was  the  only  way  to  save  their 
lives,  for  he  had  determined  to  kill  them  and  take 
everything  they  had.  Stanley  permitted  his  cox- 
swain to  go  to  Thekha  and  make  the  proposition 
to  eat  honey.  The  wily  chief  told  him  to  be  at 
ease,  no  harm  was  intended  them  and  next  day 
he  would  eat  honey  with  them.  The  coxswain 
returned  delighted,  and  reported  the  good  news. 
But  Stanley  checked  the  confidence  of  the  men, 
and  told  them  that  nothing  but  their  own  wit  and 
courage  could  save  their  lives.  This,  he  said,  was 
all  a  trick,  the  next  move  would  be  to  seize  their 
guns  as  they  had  the  oars,  when  they  would  be 
helpless,  and  by  no  means  to  leave  the  boat,  but 
be  prepared  to  act  at  any  moment  when  he  should 
give  the  word.  The  men  saw  at  once  the  force 
of  Stanley's  suspicions,  and  kept  close  by  him. 


A  CRITICAL  MOMENT. 


26^ 


Thus  nearly  three  long  hours  passed  away, 
neither  he  nor  his  crew  doing  or  attempting  to  do 
anything.  But  about  three  o'clock,  the  war-drums 
began  again  their  horrid  din,  and  soon  the  loping, 
naked  savages  were  seen  running  from  every 
quarter,  and  in  half  an  hour  five  hundred  war- 
riors had  gathered  around  the  chief  within  thirty 
paces  of  the  boat.  He  was  sitting  down,  and 
when  the  warriors  were  all  assembled,  he  made 
them  an  address.  As  soon  as  he  had  finished, 
about  fifty  of  them  dashed  up  to  Stanley's  men, 
and  seizing  his  drum,  bore  it  back  in  triumph. 
From  some  cause  or  other,  this  last  and  apparently 
most  harmless  act  of  all  aroused  Stanley's  sus- 
picions, to  a  point  that  made  him  act  promptly  and 
decisively. 

Perhaps  it  was  their  scornful,  insulting  language 
as  they  walked  off,  bidding  him  get  his  guns  ready, 
as  they  were  coming  back  soon  to  cut  his  throat. 
At  all  events,  the  moment  he  saw  them  approach 
the  chief  with  the  drum,  he  shouted  to  his  men  to 
push  the  boat  into  the  water.  The  eleven  men 
sprang  to  its  sides,  and  lifting  it  as  if  it  had  been 
a  toy,  carried  it,  with  Stanley  in  it,  to  the  water's 
edge  and  shot  it,  with  one  desperate  effort,  far 
out  into  the  lake  and  beyond  their  depth,  and 
where  they  had  to  swim  for  it.  Quickly  as  it  was 
done,  the  savages  instantly  detected  the  move- 
ment, and  before  the  boat  had  lost  its  headway, 
were  crowding  the  very  edge  of  the  water,  to 


270  ^^  '^^^   WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 

which  they  had  rushed  Hke  a  whirlwind,  shouting 
and  yelling  like  madmen.  Seizing  his  elephant 
rifle,  Stanley  sent  two  large  conical  balls  into  the 
dense  mass  with  frightful  effect.  Then  pulling 
one  of  the  men  in  the  boat,  and  bidding  him  help 
the  others  in,  he  seized  his  double-barreled  gun, 
loaded  with  buck-shot,  and  fired  right  and  left  into 
the  close-packed,  naked  crowd.  It  was  like  firing 
with  small  shot  into  a  flock  of  pigeons,  and  a  clean 
swath  was  cut  through  the  naked  mass,  which 
was  so  stunned  at  the  horrible  effect,  that  they  ran 
back  up  the  slope  without  hurling  a  spear  or  shoot- 
inof  an  arrow. 

With  the  oars  gone,  the  great  struggle  would 
be  to  get  out  into  the  open  lake,  where  they  could 
hoist  sail ;  for,  this  once  accomplished,  they  could 
bid  defiance  to  their  enemies.  Stanley  knew  the 
first  move  of  the  savages  would  be  to  man  their 
canoes,  which  lined  the  shore,  and  surround  his 
helpless  vessel  and  overwhelm  him.  He  therefore 
watched  the  first  movement  to  launch  a  canoe,  and 
as  soon  as  a  desperate-looking  savage  made 
the  attempt,  he  dropped  him  with  a  bullet  through 
his  body.  A  second,  following  his  example,  fell 
on  the  beach,  when  they  paused  at  the  certain 
death  that  seemed  to  await  the  man  who  dared  to 
touch  a  boat.  Just  then  Stanley  caught  sight  of 
the  sub-chief,  who  commanded  the  party  that  took 
the  drum,  and  taking  a  cool,  deliberate  aim  at  him 
with  his  elephant  rifle,  he  sent  one  of  its   great 


TERRIBLE  RECOMPEiSrSE.  ^y  ^ 

conical  balls  tearing  through  his  body,  killing  at 
the  same  time  his  wife  and  infant,  behind  him. 
This  terrified  them,  for  there  seemed  something 
supernatural  about  this  deadly  work,  and  they 
ceased  their  efforts  to  launch  the  boats,  and 
hastened  to  get  out  of  the  reach  of  such  fatal 
firing.  In  the  meantime,  the  men  were  slowly 
working  the  boat  toward  the  mouth  of  the  cove. 
But,  just  as  they  were  feeling  safe,  Stanley  saw 
two  canoes,  loaded  heavily  with  warriors,  push  out 
of  a  little  bay  and  pull  toward  him.  Putting  two 
explosive  shells  into  his  elephant  rifle,  he  waited 
till  they  came  within  the  distance  where  they  would 
be  most  destructive,  and  then  commenced  firing. 
He  fired  rapidly,  but  being  a  dead-shot,  with  great 
accuracy,  and  the  shells,  as  they  struck  inside  the 
canoes,  burst  with  terrible  effect.  Four  shots 
killed  five  men  and  sunk  both  the  canoes,  leaving 
the  warriors  to  swim  ashore.  This  ended  the 
fight,  and  the  enraged  and  baffled  crowd  vented 
their  fury  by  shouting  out,  "Go  and  die  in  the 
Nyanza. " 

Stanley's  rapid  deadly  firing  killed  fourteen,  and 
wounded  with  buck-shot  eight,  which,  he  coolly  re- 
marks, 'T  consider  to  be  very  dear  payment  for 
the  robbery  of  eight  ash  oars  and  a  drum,  though 
barely  equivalent,  in  our  estimation,  to  the  intended 
massacre  of  ourselves."  This  cool-blooded  treach- 
ery and  narrow  escape  roused  Stanley's  whole 
nature,  and  terrible  as  had  been  the  punishment 


27^ 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


he  had  inflicted,  he  resolved  that  he  would  make 
it  more  terrible  still  before  he  had  done  with  them. 

During  the  perils  of  the  next  night  that  fol- 
lowed, he  had  plenty  of  time  to  nurse  his  wrath. 
Having  got  clear  of  the  land,  he  hoisted  sail,  and 
favored  by  a  light  breeze,  by  night  was  eight  miles 
from  the  treacherous  Bumbireh.  A  little  after 
dark  the  breeze  died  away,  and  he  set  the  men  to 
paddling.  But,  their  oars  being  gone,  they  made 
slow  headway.  At  sunrise  they  were  only  twenty 
miles  from  the  island,  but  near  noon,  a  strong 
breeze  springing  up  from  the  northwest,  they 
bowled  along  at  the  rate  of  five  miles  an  hour,  and 
soon  saw  it  sink  in  the  distant  horizon.  At  sun- 
set they  saw  an  island  named  Sousa,  toward  which 
they  steered,  hoping  to  reach  it  by  midnight  and 
find  a  safe  haven.  But  about  eight  o'clock  the 
breeze  began  to  increase  till  it  rose  to  a  fierce 
gale,  and  the  sail  had  to  be  taken  in. 

Being  without  oars,  they  could  not  keep  the 
light  boat  before  the  wind,  and  she  was  whirled 
away  by  it  like  a  feather,  and  wallowed  amid  the 
waves  that  kept  increasing,  till  it  seemed  impossi- 
ble to  keep  much  longer  afloat.  The  men  strove 
desperately  with  their  boards  for  paddles  to  reach 
the  island,  and  get  to  the  leeward  of  it,  till  the 
storm  should  break,  but  it  was  of  no  avail.  They 
were  swept  by  it  like  a  piece  of  drift-wood,  and 
the  lightning,  as  it  lit  up  its  green  sides,  seemed 
to  mock  their  despair.     The  terrific  crash  of  the 


A  NIGHT  TEMPEST,   .  ^Jt 

thunder,  the  roar  of  the  tempest,  and  the  wild 
waste  of  the  wrathful  water  as  it  was  incessantly 
lit  up  by  the  blinding  flashes,  made  it  the  most 
terrific  night  Stanley  had  ever  passed  in  all  his 
wide  wanderings.  Between  the  dashing  of  the 
waves  over  the  gunwale  and  the  downfalling  del- 
uge of  rain,  the  helpless  boat  rapidly  filled,  and  it 
required  constant  and  rapid  bailing  to  keep  it  from 
going  to  the  bottom. 

The  imagination  cannot  conceive  the  terrors 
that  surrounded  that  little  boat  with  its  helpless 
crew  on  that  storm-swept  lake  during  that  long, 
wild  night  Above  them,  rushed  the  angry  clouds, 
pierced  incessantly  by  the  lightning;  the  he^vy 
thunder  shook  the  very  heavens,  while  all  around 
them  were  islands  and  rocks,  and  a  few  miles 
ahead,  the  main-land  peopled  by  hostile  savages. 
Yet,  amid  all  their  terror,  the  men  worn  out  with 
their  long  fasting  and  exhausting  labors,  would, 
drop  asleep,  till  awakened  by  the  stern  order  to 
bail.  The  men  of  Bumbireh  had  shouted  after 
them,  "go  and  die  in  the  Nyanza,''  and  they  now 
seemed  to  be  prophetic  words.  Stanley  remem- 
bered them,  and  he  lived  to  make  the  murderous 
savages  remember  them,  too.  At  daybreak  the 
tempest  broke,  and  the  waves  not  having  the  heavy 
roll  of  the  ocean,  quickly  subsided,  and  they  saw 
they  had  drifted  eight  miles  off  the  isle  of  Susa^ 
which  they  had  made  such  desperate  efforts  to  reach 
the  night  before,  while  other  islands  rose  in  the  dis- 
18 


^^i  IN  THE   WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 

tance.  There  was  not  a  morsel  of  food  in  the 
boat,  and  it  was  now  forty-eight  hours  since  they 
had  tasted  any^  yet  the  men  took  to  their  paddles 
cheerfully.  Soon  a  gentle  breeze  set  in  from  the 
westward,  and  hoisting  sail,  they  steered  for  an 
unknown  island,  which  Stanley  named  Refuge 
Island.  It  was  small  and  uninhabited,  but  on  ex- 
ploring it,  they  discovered  that  the  natives  had 
once  occupied  and  cultivated  it.  To  their  great 
joy,  they  found  green  bananas,  and  a  small  fruit 
resembling  cherries,  but  tasting  like  dates.  Stan- 
ley succeeded,  also,  in  shooting  two  fat  ducks. 
The  men  soon  stripped  these  of  their  feathers  and 
had  them  in  the  pot,  with  which,  and  the  fruit,  they 
made  what  seemed  to  them  in  their  famished  con- 
dition, a  right  royal  repast.  The  camp  was  pitched 
close  by  the  sandy  beach,  and  when  night  closed 
sweetly  in  on  the  wanderer-s,  "there  were  few 
people  in  the  world,"  says  Stanley,'  "blessed  God 
more  devoutly  than  we  did.''  And  well  they 
might,  for  their  double  deliverance  from  the  sav- 
ages on  shore  and  the  tempest  on  the  water,  was 
almost  miraculous. 

They  rested  here  all  the  next  day  recruiting, 
and  then  set  sail,  and  coming  to  friendly  natives, 
laid  in  a  supply  of  provisions.  While  at  anchor, 
some  of  the  men  plucked  the  poultry  they  had 
bought,  and  they  feasted  till  they  were  thoroughly 
satisfied. 

At  midnight,  a  favorable  wind  rising,  they  set 


A  GAIN  IN-  THE  STORM.  275 

sail  for  Usukuma.  About  three  in  the  morning 
they  were  in  the  middle  of  the  Speke  Gulf,  from 
which  they  had  started  nearly  two  months  before, 
and  bound  for  their  camp.  The  wind  had  died 
away,  and  the  water  lay  calm  and  unruffled  be- 
neath the  tropical  sky.  But  this  calm  was  only 
the  prelude  to  a  fearful  storm.  Clouds,  black  as 
ink,  began  to  roll  up  the  heavens,  their  edges  cor- 
rugated and  torn  by  the  contending  forces  that 
urged  them  on,  while  out  from  their  foldings  the 
lightning  leaped  in  blinding  flashes,  and  the 
thunder,  instead  of  rolling  in  angry  peals,  came 
down  in  great  crashes  as  if  the  very  frame-woi  k 
of  nature  was  rending,  and  then  the  hail,  in  stoxijes 
big  as  filberts,  beat  down  on  their  uncovered  heads. 
The  waves  rose  to  an  astonishing  height,  and  tore 
like  wild  horses  over  the  lake.  The  boat  became 
unmanageable,  and  was  whirled  along  at  the 
mercy  of  the  wind  and  waves.  But  the  staunch 
little  craft  outrode  the  fury  of  the  gale,  with  ^ 
buoyancy  that  surprised  Stanley. 

Next  morning,  although  almost  under  the 
equator,  they  saw  the  day  dawn  gray,  and  cheer- 
less, and  raw.  On  taken  his  observations,  Stanley 
found  that  he  was  only  about  twenty  miles  north- 
west of  his  camp.  The  news  sent  new  life  into 
the  crew.  They  hoisted  sail,  and,  though  at  first 
the  wind  was  unfavorable,  yet,  as  if  good  luck  had 
come  at  last,  it  shifted  astern,  and,  with  a  full  sail, 


276 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  APRICA, 


they  steered  straight  for  camp — every  heart  bound* 
ing  with  joy. 

The  men  in  camp  discovered  the  boat  when 
miles  away,  and  hurrying  to  the  shore  sent  up 
shout  after  shout,  and  tossed  their  arms  joyfully 
in  the  air.  As  the  boat  drove  swiftly  on,  the  shouts 
were  changed  to  volleys  of  musketry  and  waving 
of  flags,  while  "the  land  seemed  alive  with  leap- 
ing forms  of  glad-hearted  men.''  Rumors  of  their 
destruction  had  reached  camp,  and  his  long  ab- 
sence seemed  to  confirm  them,  and  they  had  made 
up  their  minds,  that,  with  their  leader  lost,  they 
must  turn  back.  As  the  boat  grated  on  the 
pebbly  shore,  fifty  men  leaped  into  the  water  and 
seizing  Stanley  lifted  him  bodily  out,  and,  running 
up  the  bank,  placed  him  on  their  shoulders,  and 
danced  around  the  camp  like  madmen.  They 
seemed  unable  to  contain  their  joy.  It  showed 
how  strong  was  the  hold  Stanley  had  on  their 
affections.  Stern  in  enforcing  discipline  and  re- 
lentless in  punishing  crime,  he  was  always  careful 
of  their  welfare,  attentive  to  their  wants,  just  in  all 
his  dealings,  and  generous  in  his  reward  for  good 
behavior  and  faithful  service,  and  by  this  course  he 
had  bound  these  simple  children  of  nature  to  him 
with  cords  of  iron. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

AN    INTERVAL   OF    REST. 

THE  next  morning,  as  Stanley  looked  out 
of  his  tent-door  upon  the  broad  and  beau- 
tiful lake,  it  was  with  that  intense  feeling: 
of  satisfaction  with  which  one  contemplates  a  great 
and  perilous  undertaking,  which,  after  being  well- 
nigh  abandoned,  is  at  last  successfully  accom- 
plished. The  waters,  glittering  in  the  morning 
sun,  had  but  a  short  time  before  seemed  to  him 
an  angry  foe,  but  now  they  wore  a  friendly  aspect. 
They  seemed  to  belong  to  him.  Livingstone,  and 
Speke,  and  Burton,  and  others  had  looked  on  that 
lake,  and  sighed  in  vain  to  solve  the  mystery  that 
enveloped  it,  while  he  had  not  only  followed  its 
winding  shores  their  entire  length,  but  had  sounded 
its  depths  and  fixed  its  geographical  position  for- 
ever. His  toils  were  over,  and  the  victory  won  in 
this  his  first  great  enterprise,  and  he  could  well 
look  forward  with  hope  to  the  great  work  still 
before  him.  His  escapes  had  been  wonderful^ 
and  he  might  take  them  as  good  omens  for  the 
future. 

It  seemed  as  if  fate  delighted  to  place  him  in 
positions  of  danger,  from  which  there  appeared 
to  be  no  escape,  in  order  to  show  her  power  to 


278  ^^  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

save  him  under  any  and  all  circumstances.  Even 
now,  when  contemplating  so  satisfactorily  his  sue- 
cess,  he  was  startled  by  the  narrowness  of  his 
escape  from  a  danger  of  which  he  had  never 
before  dreamed.  That .  trouble,  disorder  and  de- 
sertion might  befall  his  camp  during  his  absence 
he  had  often  /eared,  but  now  he  was  told  by  the 
men  he  had  left  in  charge  of  it,  that  in  a  few  hours 
more  the  expr  iition  would  have  broken  up  and 
disappeared  fc  rever. 

This  was  F;  ank  Pocoke's  report.  He  said  that 
a  rumor  had  /eached  camp  that  Stanley  and  his 
crew  had  been  taken  prisoners  soon  after  leaving, 
and  he  at  once  sent  off  fifty  soldiers  to  effect  his 
releasee,  who  found  the  report  false.  They  had 
also  heard  of  his  fight  with  the  Wamma,  and  that 
he  was  killed.  In  the  meantime  a  conspiracy  had 
been  formed  by  three  neighboring  tribes  to  cap- 
ture the  camp  and  seize  all  the  goods.  It  was 
discovered,  and  everything  put  in  the  best  state 
possible  to  defeat  it,  when  the  whole  fell  through 
on  account  of  the  sudden  death  of  one  of  the  con- 
spirators and  the  disaffection  of  another. 

With  the  report  of  Stanley's  death  uncontra- 
dicted— nay,  corroborated  by  his  long  absence — 
and  in  view  of  the  dangers  surrounding  them,  the 
soldiers  and  men  held  a  meeting  to  determine 
what  course  they  should  take.  He  had  then  been 
gone  nearly  a  month  and  a  half,  and  it  should  not 
have  taken  more  th^^n  half  that  time  to  have  cir- 


PROPOSALS  TO  ABANDON  CAMP, 


279 


cumnavigated  the  lake  with  a  boat  that,  in  a  fair 
breeze,  could  go  five  or  six  miles  an  hour. 

Something  must  have  happened  to  him ;  that 
was  certain ;  and  it  mattered  little  whether  it  was 
death  or  captivity.  It  was  finally  decided  to  wait 
fifteen  days  longer,  or  till  the  new  moon,  when,  if 
he  did  not  appear,  they  would  strike  camp  and 
march  back  to  Unyanyembe.  The  fifteen  days 
would  have  expired  the  next  day  after  Stanley's 
arrival.  If,  therefore,  he  had  been  delayed  forty- 
eio^ht  hours  lonorer,  instead  of  beincr  received  with 
the  waving  of  flags,  shouts  and  volleys  of  mus- 
ketry, and  wild  demonstrations  of  delight,  there 
would  have  been  no  welcome,  but  a  silent,  de- 
serted camp.  This  would  have  been  a  terrible 
blow,  and  would  have  dashed  with  the  bitterest  dis- 
appointment all  the  joy  at  his  task  successfully 
accomplished.  But  he  had  been  saved  all  this; 
still  one  calamity  had  befallen  him  for  which  there 
was  no  remedy ;  young  Barker  had  died  only  a 
few  days  before  his  arrival,  and  six  of  his  strong 
men  had  fallen  victims  to  dysentery  and  fever. 
Thus  while  in  all  the  danger  through  which  he 
had  passed  on  the  lake  he  had  not  lost  a  man, 
seven  had  died  while  lying  idly  in  a  healthy  camp. 
The  death  of  Barker  he  felt  keenly,  for  of  the  three 
white  men  who  had  started  with  him,  two  had 
already  fallen,  and  now  only  one  was  left. 

In  writing  to  his  mother,  announcing  his  death, 
and  expressing  his  sympathy  with  her  in  her  afflic- 


280  ^^  ^^^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 

tion,  he  thus  speaks  of  the  manner  In  which  it  oc- 
curred:     "I  was  absent  on  an   exploring  expe- 
dition on  Lake  Victoria,  having  left  Francis  Pocoke 
and  Frederick  Barker  in  charge  of  my  camp.  Al- 
together I  was  absent  fifty-eight  days.     When  I 
returned,  hoping  that  I  would  find   that  all  had 
gone  well,  I  was   struck  with   the  grievous   news 
that  your  son  had  died  twelve  days  before,  of  an 
intermittent  fever.     What  little  I  have  been  able 
to  learn  of  your  son's  death,  amounts  to  this  :   On 
April  2  2d,  he  went  out  on  the  lake  with  Pocoke  to 
shoot  hippopotami,  and  all  day  enjoyed  himself. 
On  the  morning  of  the  23d  he  went  out  for  a  little 
walk,  had  his  tea  and  some  pancakes,  washed  him- 
self, and   then  suddenly  said  he   felt  ill,  and  lay 
down  in  bed.     He  called  for  a  hot  stone  to  be  put 
to  his  feet;  brandy  was  given  him,  blankets  were 
heaped  on  him,  but  he  felt  such  cold  in  his  ex- 
tremities that  nothing  availed  to  restore  heat  in  his 
body.      His  blood    seems  to  have  become  con- 
gealed.    At  eight  o'  clock,  an   hour  after  he  lay 
down,  he  was  dead.     Such  is  what  I  have  been 
able  to  glean   from  Pocoke  of  the  manner  of  his 
death.      But  by  our  next    letter-carrier,   Pocoke 
shall  send  you   a  complete  account.''   .  He  then 
goes   on  to  speak  of  his  excellent  qualities  and 
promising  future,  and  his  own  great  loss. 

One  of  the  curious  things  that  struck  Stanley 
as  he  looked  on  his  party,  was  the  strange  con- 
trast between  Pocoke's  face  and  his  own.     Th^ 


REST  AFTER  TOIL,  >  281 

former  being  most  of  the  time  in  camp,  had 
bleached  to  his  old  English  whiteness,  while,  un- 
der the  reflection  of  the  fierce  rays  of  an  equato- 
rial sun,  he  had  been  burned  till  his  face  was  the 
color  of  a  lobster — in  fact,  the  natives  had  come 
to  call  him,  not  the  pale,  but  the  r^^- faced  man,  to 
which  his  blood-shot  eyes  gave  a  still  more  san- 
guinary appearance. 

Now  followed  a  season  of  rest  and  of  sweet 
repose;  and  how  deep  and  sweet  it  was,  may  be 
gathered  from  his  own  language.  He  says: 
"Sweet  is  the  Sabbath  day  to  the  toil-worn  laborer, 
happy  is  the  long  sea-tossed  mariner  on  his  ar- 
rival in  port,  and  sweet  were  the  days  of  calm 
rest  we  enjoyed  after  our  troublous  exploration 
of  the  Nyanza.  The  brusque  storms,  the  con- 
tinued rains,  the  cheerless  gray  clouds,  the  wild 
waves,  the  loneliness  of  the  islands,  the  inhospi- 
tality  of  the  natives  that  were  like  mere  phases  of 
a  dream,  were  now  but  the  reminiscenes  of  the 
memory,  so  little  did  we  heed  what  was  past  while 
enjoying  the  luxury  of  a  rest  from  our  toils.  Still 
it  added  to  our  pleasure  to  be  able  to  conjure  up 
in  the  mind  the  varied  incidents  of  the  long  lake 
journey;  they  served  to  enliven  and  employ  the 
mind  while  the  body  enjoyed  repose,  like  condi- 
ments quickening  digestion.  It  was  a  pleasure 
to  be  able  to  map  at  will,  in  the  mind,  so  many 
countries  newly  discovered,  such  a  noble  extent  of 
fresh  water  explored  for  the  first  time.     As  the 


282  ^^  THE   WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

memory  flew  over  the  lengthy  track  of  explora- 
tion, how  fondly  it  dwelt  on  the  many  picturesque 
bays,  margined  by  water-lilies  and  lotus  plants, 
or  by  the  green  walls  of  the    slender  reed-like 
papyrus.  Inclosing  an  area  of  water,  whose  face 
was  as  calm  as  a  mirror,  because  lofty  mountain 
ridges  almost  surround  it.     With  what  kindly  re- 
cognition it  roved  over  th«e  little  green  island    in 
whose  snug  haven  our  boat  had  lain  securely  at 
anchor,  when  the  rude  tempest  without  churned 
the   face  of  the   Nyanza  into  a  foaming  sheet.'* 
The  lofty  rocks  once  more  rose  before  him  in  imagi- 
nation, while  the  distant  hills  were  outlined  against 
the  fervid  horizon,  and  the  rich  grain  fields  of  some 
of  the  districts  smiled  in  the  sun.    But  his  memory 
dwelt  with  fondest  recollection  on  Uganda  and  its 
hospitable  King  Mtesa,  for  there,  it  not  only  re- 
called the  present,  but  pictured  a  glorious  future, 
in  which  smiling  villages  took  the  places  of  rude 
huts,  from  the  midst  of  which  church  spires  rose, 
and  the  clear  tones  of  the  bell  called  the  dusky 
inhabitants  to  the  place  of  worship.     As  he  thus 
lay  dreaming,   close  by  the   equatorial   circle,  he 
saw  the  land  smiling  in  affluence  and  plenty ;  its 
bays  crowded  with  the  dark  hulls  of  trading  ves- 
sels, heard  the  sound  of  craftsmen  at  their  work, 
the  roar  of  manufactories  and  foundries,  and  the 
ever-buzzing  noise  of  industry. 

With  these  bright  anticipations  of  the  future,  the 
happy  result  of  his  endeavors,  would  mingle  his 


STANLEY'S  DA  Y-DREAMS. 


283 


desperate  encounters  with  the  savages,  his 
narrow  escapes,  his  nights  of  danger  on  the  tem- 
pestuous lake,  his  wonderful  success  so  near  a 
failure  at  last — of  all  these  marvelous  experiences 
and  events  crowded  on  him  as  he  lay  and  rested, 
and  dreamed  on  the  shores  of  the  lake  that  he  felt 
to  be  his  own.  If  half  that  he  anticipated,  as  he 
lay  and  rested  and  dreamed,  turns  out  true,  his 
name  will  be  linked  with  changes  that  will  sink  all 
his  great  discoveries  into  nothingness — moral 
changes  and  achievements  as  much  above  mere 
material  success  as  mind  is  above  matter — civiliza- 
tion above  barbarism — Christianity  above  Pagan- 
ism. 

This  successful  voyage  and  safe  return  inspired 
the  members  of  the  expedition  with  renewed  con- 
fidence in  their  leader,  and  Stanley  soon  set  about 
prosecuting  the  great  work  to  which  he  had  devoted 
himself,  and  which,  with  all  its  toils  and  dangers 
and  great  sacrifice  of  life,  had  only  just  begun. 

The  Grand  Admiral  Magassa  had  not  yet  joined 
him.  There  was  no  reason  he  had  not  done  so, 
except  that  the  fight  at  Bumbireh  and  subsequent 
storm  on  the  lake  had  sent  them  wide  apart.  But 
he  had  two  of  Stanley's  best  men  with  him,  who 
would  direct  him  to  the  camp  in  Speke  Bay,  toward 
which  he  knew  Stanley  was  working,  and  where 
he  should,  have  been  before  this  time.  The  latter 
waited  nine  days  in  camp  for  him,  and  then  con- 
cluding that   he   did   not   intend  to  come  at  all, 


284 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


resolved  to  march  back  overland  with  his  party 
(as  he  had  no  canoes  to  carry  them  by  water)  to 
Uganda.  Just  as  they  were  ready  to  start,  there 
came  into  camp  a  negro  embassy  from  Ruoma, 
which  lay  between  him  and  Ugondo  on  the  land 
route,  with  the  following  message :  "Ruoma  sends 
salaams  to  the  white  man.  He  does  not  want  the 
white  man's  cloth,  beads  or  wire,  but  the  white 
man  must  not  pass  through  his  country.  Ruoma 
does  not  want  to  see  him  or  any  other  man  with 
long  red  hair  down  to  his  shoulders,  white  face 
and  big  red  eyes.  Ruoma  is  not  afraid  of  him, 
but  if  the  white  man  will  come  near  his  country, 
Ruoma  and  Mirambo  will  fight  him. " 

"Here,  indeed,"  as  Stanley  says,  "was  a  di- 
lemma. "  Mtesa's  admiral  had  proved  false  to  the 
instructions  given  him  by  the  king,  and  no  boats 
had  arrived  to  convey  his  party  to  Uganda  by 
water,  and  now  the  ruler  of  the  district  through 
which  he  must  pass  to  reach  it  by  land  forbade 
him  to  cross  it.  To  force  a  passage  was  impossi- 
ble ;  for  Ruoma,  besides  having  a  hundred  and 
fifty  muskets  and  several  thousand  spearmen  and 
bowmen,  had  the  dreaded  Mirambo,  with  his  fierce 
warriors,  within  a  day's  march  of  him  and  ready 
to  aid  him.  Even  if  he  could  fight  his  way  across 
the  country,  it  would  be  at  a  sacrifice  of  life  that 
he  could  not  afford,  and  which  the  results  he  hoped 
to  secure  would  not  justify.  Still,  he  could  not 
give  up  Uganda,  with  its  half-civilized  king,  for  it 


• 


SEEKING  CANOES,  285 

was  not  only  the  most  interesting  country  that 
bordered  on  the  lake,  but  it  comprised  the  unknown 
region  lying  between  it  and  Tanganika.  If  he 
could  only  get  canoes  from  some  other  quarter, 
he  could  take  his  party  to  Uganda  by  water ;  and 
once  there,  his  friend  Mtesa  would  give  him  all 
the  aid  he  wanted.  He  therefore  set  on  foot  in- 
quiries respecting  the  various  tribes  bordering  on 
the  gulf  on  which  he  was  encamped,  to  ascertain 
the  number  of  canoes  each  possessed.  He  found 
that  the  king  of  Ukerewe,  the  large  island  lying 
at  the  mouth  of  the  gulf,  was  the  most  likely  per- 
son to  have  the  canoes  he  wanted,  and  he  applied 
to  him.  But  he  was  unable  to  negotiate  for  them 
in  person,  as  he  was  taken  suddenly  and  seriously 
ill — the  result  of  his  long  exposure  on  the  lake 
under  an  equatorial  sun — so  he  sent  Pocoke,  with 
Prince  Kaduma,  to  make  proposals  for  them. 
These,  taking  a  handsome  present  for  the  king, 
departed.  In  twelve  days  they  returned  with  fifty 
canoes  and  some  three  hundred  natives  under  the 
command  of  the  king's  brother ;  but  to  convey  him 
and  his  party  to  the  king,  not  to  Uganda. 

Stanley's  joy  at  the  sight  of  the  canoes  was 
dampened  by  this  request,  and  he  told  the  king's 
brother  that  even  if  the  king  would  give  all  his 
land  and  cattle,  he  would  not  let  the  expedition  go 
to  Ukerewe,  but  that  he  himself  would  go,  and  the 
messenger  himself  might  return  as  soon  as  he 
pleased.     As  soon  as  he  was  well  enough  he  set 


2g6  IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

out,  and  on  the  second  day  he  reached  the  island 
Knowing  how  much  was  at  stake,  he  put  on  his 
court  costume,  which  meant  the  best  clothes  in  his 
wardrobe,  and  equipped  himself  with  his  best 
arms,  while  his  attendants  bore  valuable  presents. 
The  next  day  after  his  arrival  was  fixed  for  the 
great  audience.  When  the  hour  arrived  Stanley 
mustered  the  crew  of  the  Lady  Alice,  who  had 
been  dressed  for  the  occasion,  and  the  bugle 
sounded  the  order  to  march.  In  ten  minutes  they 
came  to  a  level  stretch  of  ground,  in  the  centre 
of  which  was  a  kndll,  where  the  king  was  seated 
in  state,  surrounded  by  hundreds  of  bowmen  and 
spearmen.  He  was  a  young  man,  with  a  color 
tending  more  to  the  mulatto  than  the  negro — pos- 
sessing an  amiable  countenance,  and  altogether 
he  made  a  favorable  impression  on  Stanley.  He 
was  quite  a  conspicuous  object  sitting  on  that 
knoll  in  the  midst  of  warriors,  for  he  was  wrapped 
in  a  robe  of  red  and  yellow  silk  damask  cloth. 
His  reception  of  Stanley  consisted  in  a  long, 
steady  stare,  but  being  informed  that  the  latter 
wished  to  state  the  object  of  his  visit  to  him  and 
a  few  of  his  chiefs  alone,  he  stepped  aside  a  short 
distance  to  a  pile  of  stones,  and  invited  them  to 
join  him.  Stanley  then  stated  what  he  wanted, 
how  far  he  wished  the  caftoes  to  go,  what  he  would 
pay  for  them,  etc.,  etc.  The  king  listened  atten- 
tively, and  replied  in  a  kind  and  affable  manner  - 
but  he  said  his  canoes  were  many  of  them  rottert 


THE  KINGS  STRATEGY, 


287 


and  unfit  for  a  long  voyage,  and  he  was  afraid 
they  would  give  out,  and  then  he  would  be  blamed 
and  accused  of  being  the  cause  of  the  loss  of  his 
property.  Stanley  replied  that  he  might  blame 
the  canoes,  but  not  him.  At  the  close  of  the  con- 
ference, the  king  said  he  should  have  as  many 
canoes  as  he  wanted,  but  he  must  remain  a  few 
days  and  partake  of  his  hospitality.  This  was 
given  in  no  stinted  measure,  for  beeves,  and  goats» 
and  chickens,  and  milk,  and  eggs,  and  bananas^ 
and  plantains  were  furnished  in  prodigal  quanti- 
ties, together  with  native  beer  for  the  crew.  They 
luxuriated  in  abundance,  and  on  the  fifteenth  day 
the  king  came  to  Stanley's  tent  with  his  chief 
counselor,  and  gave  him  his  secret  instructions  and 
advice.  He  said  he  had  ordered  fifty  canoes  to 
carry  him  as  far  as  Usuk^ma,  Stanley's  camp,  but 
his  people  would  not  be  willing  to  go  to  Uganda. 
He,  therefore,  had  resorted  to  stratagem,  and 
caused  it  to  be  reported  that  Stanley  was  going 
to  come  and  live  among  them.  He  said  that  the  lat- 
ter must  encourage  this  report,  and  when  he  got  to 
Usukuma,  and  the  canoes  were  drawn  up  on  shore 
he  must  seize  them  and  secure  the  paddles.  Hav- 
ing thus  rendered  it  impossible  for  them  to  return, 
he  was  to  inform  them  what  he  intended  to  do, 

Stanley  having  promised  to  obey  his  instructions 
implicitly,  the  king  sent  with  him  his  prime  minis- 
ter and  two  favorites,  and  he  departed,  after  leav- 
ing behind  him  a  handsome  present  as  an  earnest 


288  IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 

of  what  he  would  do  in  the  future.  The  natives 
bent  to  their  paddles  cheerfully,  and  at  length 
reached  Stanley's  camp ;  but  instead  of  fifty,  he 
found  there  but  twenty-three  canoes.  Though 
disappointed,  he  was  compelled  to  be  content  with 
these. 

He  accordingly  whispered  his  orders  to  the  cap- 
tains  of  his  expedition  to  muster  their  men  and 
seize  the  canoes  and  paddles.  This  was  done,  and 
the  canoes  were  drawn  up  far  on  land.  The  as- 
tonished natives  inquired  the  meaning  of  this,  and 
when  told,  flew  into  a  furious  passion,  and  being 
about  equal  in  number  to  Stanley's  party,  showed 
fight.  The  latter  saw  at  a  glance  that  any  attempt 
to  mollify  them  by  talk  would  be  fruitless,  and  that 
energetic,  prompt  measures  alone  would  answer, 
and  he  immediately  ordered  the  bugle  to  sound 
the  rally.  The  soldiers  stepped  quickly  into  line, 
when  he  ordered  a  charge  with  the  muzzles  of 
their  guns,  and  the  astonished,  duped  creatures 
were  driven  out  of  camp  and  away  from  the  shore. 
Stanley  then  held  a  parley  with  them  and  proposed 
to  send  them  back,  and  did,  or  at  least  a  portion 
of  them,  in  four  canoes,  which  could  return  and  take 
off  the  rest.  The  other  canoes  he  kept,  and  on  the 
third  day  started  for  Uganda  with  a  portion  of  the 
expedition,  and  at  the  end  of  five  days  arrived  at 
Refuge  Island.  Remembering  when  he  was  there 
before,  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  mainland,  which 
was  not  more  than  six  miles  off,  were  not  kindly 


TREACHERY  THWARTED.  289 

disposed  toward  him,  he  built  a  strong  camp  among 
the  rocks,  locating  it  so  that  each  high  rock  could 
furnish  a  position  for  sharp-shooters,  and  in  every 
way  he  could,  rendered  it  impregnable,  in  case  it 
should  be  attacked  during  his  absence. 

As  he  had  not  been  able  to  embark  all  his  ex- 
pedition and  baggage,  he  now  returned  for  them, 
re^:ching  his  old  camp  again  after  an  absence  of 
fiff  een  days.  He  learned  on  his  arrival  that  two 
neighboring  chiefs  were  planning  to  seize  him  and 
make  him  pay  a  heavy  ransom.  He,  however, 
said  nothing;  spoke  pleasantly  every  day  to  one 
of  them — Prince  Kaduma,  and  made  presents  to 
his  pretty  wife,  and  went  on  loading  his  canoes. 
When  the  day  of  embarkation  arrived,  the  two 
chiefs,  with  a  strong  force  came  to  the  water's 
edge  and  looked  on  moodily.  Stanley  appeared 
not  to  notice  it,  but  laughed  and  talked  pleasantly, 
and  proceeding  leisurely  to  the  Lady  Alice,  ordered 
the  boats  crew  to  shove  her  off.  When  a  short 
distance  was  reached,  he  halted,  and  swinging 
broadside  on  shore,  showed  a  row  of  deadly  guns 
in  point-blank  range  of  the  shore.  Taken  com- 
pletely aback  by  this  sudden  movement,  and  not 
daring  to  make  a  hostile  demonstration  with  those 
guns  covering  them,  the  treacherous  chiefs  let  the 
process  of  embarkation  go  on  without  moles- 
tation, and  soon  the  last  canoe  was  afloat  and  a 
final  good-bye  given  to  the  camp,  a  scornful  fare- 
well waved  to  the  disappointed  natives  on  shore, 
19 


^QQ  IN  THE   WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

and  the  little  fleet  steered  for  Refuge  Island. 
Rough  weather  followed,  and  the  rotten  canoes 
gave  out  one  after  another,  so  that  he  had  only 
fifteen  when  he  reached  the  island.  He  found 
the  camp  had  not  been  disturbed  in  his  absence, 
On  the  contrary,  the  neighboring  kings  and  chiefs, 
seeing  that  his  camp  was  impregnable,  had  prof- 
fered their  friendship  and  supplied  the  soldiers 
with  provisions.  They  also  provided  him  with  a 
guide  and  sold  him  three  canoes. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

PREPARATIONS  FOR  FURTHER  EXPLORATIONS. 

STANLEY  now  rested  a  few  days  on  this 
island  before  beginning  his  explorations. 
It  was  associated  in  his  mind  with  bitter 
memories,  and,  as  he  wandered  over  it,  he  remem- 
bered the  insults  he  had  received,  and  his  almost 
miraculous  escape  from  death  near  it.  The  treach- 
erous Bumbireh  was  almost  in  sight,  and  it 
awakened  in  him  a  strong  desire  for  revenge,  and 
he  determined  to  visit  the  island  again,  and  demand 
reparation  for  the  wrongs  he  had  received,  and  if 
it  was  not  given,  to  make  war  on  them  and  teach 
them  a  lesson  on  good  behavior.  So  at  the  end 
of  three  days  he  set  sail  and  camped  on  Mahyiga 
Island,  five  miles  distant,  and  sent  a  message  to 
the  natives  saying,  that  if  they  would  deliver  their 
king  and  two  principal  chiefs  into  his  hands,  he 
would  make  peace  with  them,  otherwise  he  would 
make  war.  This  was  a  cool  request,  and  Stanley 
himself,  suspecting  it  would  be  refused,  sent  a 
party  to  invite  the  king  of  Iroba,  an  island  only  a 
mile  from  Bumbireh,  to  visit  him,  who,  dreading 
the  vengeance  of  the  white  man,  came,  bringing 
with  him  three  chiefs.  On  what  principle  of  morals 
Stanley  will  justify  his  course  we  cannot  say,  but 

(291) 


^9^ 


m  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 


the  moment  the  king  arrived,  he  had  him  and  hia 
chiefs  put  in  chains  ;  the  conditions  of  their  release 
being  that  his  people  should  deliver  the  king  of 
Bumbireh,  and  two  of  his  principal  chiefs  into  his 
hands. 

Although  the  people  of  Bumbireh  had  treated 
his  message  with  contempt,  the  subjects  of  Iroba 
seized  their  king  and  delivered  him  into  the  hands 
of  Stanley.  The  peril  of  their  own  king  had  stimu- 
lated them  to  effort,  and  Stanley  at  once  released 
him,  while  he  loaded  his  new  royal  captive  heavily 
with  chains.  He  also  sent  a  message  to  king 
Antari,  on  the  mainland,  to  whom  Bumbireh  was 
tributary,  requesting  him  to  redeem  his  land  from 
war.  In  reply,  the  latter  sent  his  son  and  two 
chiefs  to  him  to  make  peace,  who  brought  a  quan- 
tity of  bananas  as  a  promise  of  what  the  king 
would  do  in  the  future.  Stanley,  in  conversing 
with  them,  detected  them  in  so  many  falsehoods, 
and  thinking  he  saw  treachery  in  their  faces,  or 
perhaps  it  would  be  more  in  accordance  with  truth 
to  say,  that  having  got  them  in  his  power,  he 
thought  it  better  to  keep  them  as  hostages  for  the 
appearance  of  the  two  chiefs  of  Bumbireh,  who  had 
not  been  brought  with  the  king,  and  he,  therefore, 
did  so.  In  the  meantime,  seven  large  canoes  of 
Mtesa  came  up,  which  were  out  on  an  expedition 
of  the  king's.  The  chief  commanding  them  told 
Stanley  that  Magassa  had  recovered  the  oars  cap- 
tured at  Bumbireh,  and  that  on  his  returning  and 


ORGANIZING  AN  ATTACK. 


293 


reporting  Stanley  dead,  he  had  been  put  in  chains 
by  Mtesa,  but  subsequently  he  had  been  released 
and  dispatched  in  search  of  him.  Stanley  per- 
suaded this  chief,  with  his  canoes,  to  remain  and 
assist  in  the  attack  on  Bumbireh,  if  his  followers 
refused  the  terms  of  peace. 

Two  days  after,  this  chief  sent  some  of  his  men 
to  Bumbireh  for  food,  but  they  were  not  allowed 
to  land.  On  the  contrary,  they  were  attacked,  and 
one  man  was  killed  and  eight  were  wounded.  This 
gave  Stanley  another  strong  reason  for  making 
war  at  once  without  further  negotiations,  to  which 
Mtesa's  chief  gladly  consented.  Accordingly, 
next  morning,  he  mustered  two  hundred  and  eighty 
men  with  fifty  muskets,  and  two  hundred  spear- 
men, and  placed  them  in  eighteen  canoes  and  set 
out  for  Bumbireh,  eight  miles  distant,  and  reached 
the  island  at  two  o'clock  in.  the  afternoon. 

The  natives  of  Bumbireh  were  evidently  ex- 
pecting trouble,  for  they  felt  sure  the  attack  on 
the  friends  of  Stanley  the  day  before  would  be 
quickly  avenged.  As  the  latter,  therefore,  drew 
near  the  shore,  he  saw  lookouts  on  every  emi- 
nence. Looking  through  his  field-glass,  he  soon 
discovered  messengers  running  to  a  plantain  grove 
which  stood  on  a  low  hill  that  commanded  a  clear, 
open  view  of  a  little  port  on  the  southern  point  of 
the  island,  from  which  he  concluded  that  the  main 
force  of  the  enemy  was  assembled  there.  He  then 
called  the  canoes  together,  and  told  them  to  follow 


294 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


him  and  steer  just  as  he  steered,  and  by  no  means 
to  attempt  to  land,  as  he  did  not  mean  that  one  of 
Mtesa's  men  should  be  killed,  or,  indeed,  any  of 
his  own  soldiers — he  intended  to  punish  Bumbireh 
without  any  damage  to  himself.     He  then  ordered 
his  crew  to  row  straight  for  the  port — the  other 
canoes  following  in  close  order  behind.     He  man- 
aged to  keep  out  of  sight  of  the  lookouts;  and 
skirting  close  to  the  land,  at  the  end  of  a  little 
more  than  a  mile,  rounded  a  cape  and  shot  into  a 
fine  bay,  right  in  the  rear  and  in  full  view  of  the 
enemy.     They  were  gathered  in  such  large  num- 
bers that  Stanley  saw  it  would  not  do  to  attack 
them  in  such  a  cover,  and  so  steered  for  the  op- 
posite side  of  the  bay,  as  though  he  intended  to 
land  there,  where  the  sloping  hill-sides  were  bare 
of  everything  but  low  grass.     The  savages,  per- 
ceiving this,  broke  cover  and  ran  yelling  toward 
the   threatened    point.     This    was    exactly   what 
Stanley  wanted,  and  he  ordered  the    rowers  to 
pull  slowly,  so  as  to  give  them  time  to  reach  the 
spot  toward  which  he  was  moving.     Very  soon 
they  were  all  assembled  on  the  naked  hill-side, 
brandishing   their   weapons    fiercely   in    the   air. 
Stanley  kept    slowly   on    till    within    a    hundred 
yards  of  the  beach,  when  he  anchored  broadside 
on  the  shore — the   English  and  American  flags 
waving  above  him.     The  other  seventeen  canoes 
followed  his  example.     Seeing  a  group  of  about 
fifty  standing  close  together,  he  ordered  a  volley 


TERRIBLE   PUNISHMENT. 


295 


to  be  fired  into  it.  Fifty  muskets  and  his  own 
trusty  rifle  spoke  at  once,  and  with  such  terrible 
effect  that  nearly  the  whole  number  was  killed  or 
wounded.  The  natives,  astounded  at  this  mur- 
derous work,  now  separated  and  came  down  to 
the  water's  edge  singly,  and  began  to  yell  and 
sling  stones  and  shoot  arrows.  Stanley  then 
ordered  the  anchors  up,  and  gave  directions  to 
move  the  canoes  to  within  fifty  yards  of  the  shore, 
and  each  soldier  to  select  his  man  and  fire  as 
though  he  was  shooting  birds.  The  savages 
dropped  right  and  left  before  this  target  practice, 
but  the  survivors  stood  their  ground  firmly,  for 
they  knew  if  Stanley  effected  a  landing  he  would 
burn  everything  on  the  island. 

For  an  hour  they  endured  the  deadly  fire,  and 
then,  unable  longer  to  stand  it,  moved  up  the  hill, 
but  still  not  out  of  range,  especially  of  Stanley's 
unerring  rifle.  Though  every  now  and  then  a 
man  would  drop,  they  refused  to  move  farther 
away,  for  they  knew  that  if  they  were  not  near 
enough  to  make  a  dash  the  moment  the  boats 
touched  the  shore,  all  would  be  lost.  Another 
hour  was  therefore  passed  in  this  long-range  firing, 
when  Stanley  ordered  the  canoes  to  advance  all 
together,  as  if  about  to  make  a  sudden  landing. 
The  savages,  seeing  this,  rushed  down  the  hill- 
side like  a  torrent,  and  massed  themselves  by  the 
hundreds  at  the  point  toward  which  the  canoes 
were  moving,  some  even  entering  the  water  with 


296 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 


their  spears  poised  ready  to  strike.  When  they 
were  packed  densely  together,  Stanley  ordered 
the  bugle  to  sound  a  halt,  and,  as  the  crews  rested 
on  their  oars,  directed  a  volley  to  be  fired  into 
them,  which  mowed  them  down  so  terribly  that 
they  turned  and  fled  like  deer  over  the  hill. 
Stanley's  men  had  now  got  their  blood  up  and 
urged  him  to  let  them  land  and  make  a  complete 
end  of  this  treacherous  people,  but  he  refused, 
saying  that  he  came  to  punish,  not  destroy. 

They  had  fired  in  all  about  seven  hundred  cart- 
ridges, and  as  the  savages  were  completely  ex- 
posed, and  in  the  afternoon,  with  the  sun  directly 
behind  the  boats,  and  shining  full  in  their  faces, 
the  mortality  was  great.  Over  forty  were  left 
dead  on  the  field,  while  the  number  of  the  wounded 
could  not  be  counted,  though  more  than  a  hun- 
dred were  seen  to  limp  or  to  be  led  away.  It  was 
a  great  victory,  and  Stanley's  dusky  allies  were  in 
a  state  of  high  excitement,  and  made  the  air  ring 
with  their  shouts  and  laughter,  as  they  bent  to 
their  paddles.  It  was  dark  when  they  got  back 
to  the  island,  where  they  were  received  with  wild 
songs  of  triumph.  Stanley  was  a  great  hero  to 
these  untutored  children  of  nature. 

The  next  morning  more  canoes  arrived  from 
Uganda,  and  Stanley  prepared  to  depart.  He 
had  now  thirty-two  canoes,  all  well  loaded  with 
men,  which  made  quite  an  imposing  little  fleet  as 
they  moved  into  order  on  the  lake,  and  constituted 


COMPLETEL  Y  SUBDUED. 


297 


a  strong  force.  They  sailed  close  to  Bumbireh, 
and  Stanley  looked  to  see  what  had  been  the  effect 
of  the  severe  thrashing-  he  had  given  them  the  day 
before.  He  found  their  audacity  gone,  and  their 
proud,  insulting  spirit  completely  quelled.  There 
were  no  shouts  of  defiance,  no  hostile  demonstra- 
tions. Seeing  a  hundred  or  more  gathered  in  a 
group,  he  fired  a  bullet  over  their  heads,  which 
scattered  them  in  every  direction.  The  day  be- 
fore they  had  breasted  bravely  volley  after  volley, 
but  now  the  war  spirit  was  thoroughly  cowed.  In 
another  place  some  natives  came  down  to  the 
shore  and  begged  them  to  go  away  and  not  hurt 
them  any  more.  This  gave  Stanley  an  opportu- 
nity to  preach  them  a  sermon  on  treachery,  and 
exhort  them  hereafter  to  treat  strangers  who  came 
to  them  peaceably  with  kindness.  The  dead  in 
almost  every  hut  was,  however,  the  most  effectual 
sermon  of  the  two. 

They  camped  that  evening  on  the  mainland,  in 
the  territory  of  King  Kattawa,  who  treated  them 
in  a  magnificent  style  for  a  savage,  to  show  his 
gratitude  for  the  punishment  they  had  inflicted  on 
Bumbireh,  who  had  a  short  time  before  killed  one 
of  his  chiefs.  They  stayed  here  a  day,  and  then 
steered  for  the  island  of  Muzina,  where  he  had 
last  seen  Magassa  and  his  fleet.  The  people  were 
not  friendly  to  him,  but  they  had  heard  of  the  ter- 
rible punishment  he  had  inflicted  on  the  Bumbireh. 
and    hastened    to    supply   him   with   provisions. 


298 


IN  THE   WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 


They  brought  him  five  cattle,  four  goats,  and  a 
hundred  bunches  of  bananas,  besides  honey,  milk 
and  eggs. 

The  king  of  Ugoro,  near  by,  also  sent  him  word 
that  he  had  given  his  people  orders  to  supply  him 
with  whatever  food  he  wanted.  Stanley  replied 
that  he  wanted  no  food,  but  if  he  would  lend  him 
ten  canoes  to  carry  his  people  to  Uganda,  he 
would  consider  him  as  his  friend.  They  were 
promptly  furnished.  Mtesa's  chief  urged  him  to  at- 
tack the  king,  as  he  had  murdered  many  of  Mtesa's 
people,  but  Stanley  refused,  saying  he  did  not 
come  to  make  war  on  black  people,  he  only  wished 
to  defend  his  rights  and  avenge  acts  of  treach- 
ery. Five  days  after  he  landed  at  Duomo  Uganda, 
half-way  betweet  the  Kagera  and  Katonga  rivers, 
and  pitched  his  camp.  He  selected  this  spot  as 
the  best  place  from  which  to  start  for  the  Albert 
Nyanza,  which  he  designed  next  to  explore.  He 
wanted  to  see  Mtesa,  and  get  his  advice  as  to 
which  was  the  best  route  to  take,  because  between 
these  two  lakes  were  several  powerful  tribes,  who 
were  continually  at  war  with  the  king  of  Uganda. 

In  summing  up  his  losses  during  this  journey 
of  two  hundred  and  twenty  miles  by  water,  he 
found  he  had  lost  six  men  drowned,  five  guns  and 
one  case  of  ammu nition,  besides  ten  canoes  wrecked 
and  three  riding  asses  dead,  leaving  him  but  one. 
He  had  been  gone  fifty-six  days,  and  though  the 
distance  was  but  two  hundred  and  twenty  miles,  a 


NEW  SCHEMES,  2QQ 

large  portion  of  it  had  been  traversed  three  times, 
so  that  he  had  really  travelled  by  water  over  seven 
hundred  and  twenty  miles.  He  had  bought 
scarcely  any  provisions,  the  expedition  subsisting 
on  the  corn  he  bought  at  the  start  with  one  bale 
of  cloth,  but  considerable  quantities  of  food  had 
been  given  them. 

He  now  resolved,  after  he  had  settled  his  camp, 
to  visit  Mtesa  again,  and  consult  with  him  about 
the  aid  he  could  give  him  to  reach  Albert  Nyanza. 
This  lake  was  the  source  of  the  White  Nile,  up 
which  Baker  was  forcing  his  way,  the  very  year 
Stanley  started  on  his  expedition.  Baker  hoped 
to  launch  steamers  upon  it,  but  he  failed  even  to 
reach  it,  though  he  saw  its  waters,  twenty  miles 
distant.  Between  it  and  the  Victoria  Nyanza  is  an 
unknown  region.  The  distance  Jrom  one  to  the 
other  in  a  straight  line  is  probably  not  two  hundred 
miles,  though  by  any  travelled  route  it  is,  of  course 
muchfarther.  Nothing  is  definitely  known  of  its  size 
or  shape.  Colonel  Mason  made  a  partial  explora- 
tion of  it  last  year,  but  it  still  remains  a  new  field 
for  some  future  explorer,  for  Stanley  failed  to  reach 
it  if  Mason's  map  is  correct.  The  Victoria  Nyanza 
he  computed  to  contain  twenty-one  thousand  five 
hundred  square  miles,  and  to  be  nine  thousand 
one  hundred  and  sixty-eight  feet  above  the  sea 
level. 

There  is  a  large  lake  almost  directly  west  of  the 
Nyanza  called  Muta  Nzienge,  which  Stanley  con- 


„Q  IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 

jectures  may  be  connected  with  the  Albert  Nyanza. 
The  region  around  the  latter  is  wholly  unknown, 
except  that  fierce  cannibals  occupy  its  western 
shore.  We  say  that  Stanley  did  not  reach  the 
Albert  Nyanza  at  all,  though  if  it  and  the  Muta 
Nzienge  are  one,  he  did.  He  inserts  in  his 
journal  that  he  reached  the  shore  of  the  lake, 
yet  by  his  map  he  did  not.  This  discrepancy 
is  owing  probably  to  the  fact  that  he  thought, 
when  he  wrote,  that  the  lake  he  saw  was  the  Albert 
Nyanza,  and  though  Colonel  Mason  explored 
it  partially  last  year,  and  makes  it  an  entirely 
distinct  lake,  yet  Stanley's  opinion  may  still  be 
unchanged.  At  all  events,  his  map  and  journal 
should  agree,  but  they  do  not,  which  confuses 
things  badly.  His  route,  as  he  has  marked  it 
down,  does  not  go  near  this  lake.  On  the  other 
hand,  if  the  Albert  and  the  Muta  Nzienge  are  one, 
it  rivals  in  length  the  great  Tanganika,  which  no 
one,  however,  thinks  it  to  do. 

Stanley  found  Mtesa  at  war  with  the  Wavuma, 
who  refused  to  pay  their  annual  tribute.  Accord- 
ing to  his  account  this  monarch  had  an  army  with 
him  which,  with  its  camp  followers,  amounted  to 
a  quarter  of  a  million  of  souls.  He  remained  with 
Mtesa  several  weeks,  as  the  war  dragged  slowly 
along,  and,  in  the  meantime,  translated,  with  the 
help  of  a  young,  educated  Arab,  a  part  of  the  Bible 
for  him,  and  apparently  sent  him  forward  a  great 
wa,y  toward  Christianity.     He  at  length,  after  he 


THE  ALBERT  NYANZA. 


301 


had  witnessed  various  naval  battles  that  did  not 
seem  to  bring  the  war  any  nearer  to  a  termination, 
built  for  the  king  a  huge  naval  structure,  wholly 
inclosed,  which,  when  it  moved  against  the  brave 
islanders,  filled  them  with  consternation,  and  they 
made  peace. 

At  this  point,  Stanley  makes  a  break  in  his 
journal  and  devotes  nearly  a  hundred  pages  to  a 
narrative  of  Uganda  and  its  king,  Mtesa.  He 
gives  its  traditions,  mingled  with  much  fable ;  a 
description  of  its  land,  fruits,  customs  of  the  people 
— in  short,  a  thorough  history,  as  far  as  the  natives 
know  anything  about  it.  This  possesses  more  or 
less  interest,  though  the  information  it  conveys  is 
of  very  little  consequence,  while  it  is  destitute  of 
any  incident  connected  with  his  journey. 

It  was  now  October,  and  he  turned  his  atten- 
tion directly  to  the  next  scene  of  his  labors — the 
exploration  of  the  Albert  Nyanza.  The  great 
difficulty  here  was  to  get  through  the  warlike 
tribes  that  lay  between  the  lakes  and  around  the 
latter,  of  which  Abba  Rega  was  one  of  the  most 
hostile  chiefs.  This  king,  it  will  be  remembered^ 
was  the  great  foe  of  Baker,  whom  the  latter  drove 
out  of  the  country,  after  burning  his  capital,  and 
put  Rionga  in  his  place.  He  said  then,  that  this 
treacherous  king  had  gone  to  the  shores  of  the 
Albert  Nyanza.  By  the  way.  Baker's  statement 
and  Stanley's  journal,  placed  together,  seem  to 
make  it  certain  that  the  Muta  Nzienge,  which  the 


^Q2  ^^  ^^^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 

latter  reached,  and  the  Albert  Nyanza  are  the 
same ;  for,  in  the  first  place,  it  will  be  remembered, 
Baker's  last  journey  was  to  Unyoro,  where  he  saw 
the  Albert  Nyanza.  Now  Stanley,  it  will  be  seen 
hereafter,  traverses  this  same  district  to  reach  the 
lake  he  called  Muta  Nzienge.  Again,  Baker  says 
that  Abba  Rega  fled  to  the  Albert  Nyanza,  and 
yet  Stanley  found  him  on  Lake  Muta  Nzienge. 
If  Stanley's  attention  had  been  called  to  this,  we 
hardly  think  he  would  have  made  two  lakes  on  his 
map,  when,  from  these  corroborating  statements, 
there  could  have  been  but  one.  The  fact  that  these 
separate  statements,  made  two  years  apart,  are 
purely  incidental,  makes  the  fact  they  go  to  prove 
the  more  certain  to  be  true.  It  seems  impossible 
that  Baker  and  Stanley  should  reach  through  the 
same  tribe  two  large  and  entirely  separate  lakes. 
Knowing  not  only  of  the  hostility,  but  also  the 
power  of  some  of  the  tribes  between  Uganda  and 
Lake  Albert,  Stanley  asked  Mtesa  for  fifty  or 
sixty  thousand  men — a  mighty  army.  With  such 
a  force  he  thought  he  could  not  only  overcome  all 
opposition  on  the  way,  but  hold  the  camp  he 
wished  to  establish,  while  he  spent  two  months  in 
exploring  the  lake.  But  Mtesa  told  him  two 
thousand  would  be  ample,  which  he  would  cheer- 
fully furnish.  He  said  that  he  need  not  fear  Abba 
Rega,  for  he  would  not  dare  to  lift  a  spear  against 
his  troops,  for  he  had  seated  him  on  the  throne  of 
Kameazi.     Though  Stanley  was  not  convinced  of 


MILITAR  V  ESCOR T.  303 

the  truth  of  Mtesa's  statements,  he  would  not 
urge  him  further  and  accepted,  with  many  ex- 
pressions of  thanks,  the  two  thousand  soldiers, 
commanded  by  General  Lamboozi^  as  an  escort 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE    EXPEDITION    TO    ALBERT   NYANZA. 

STANLEY'S  expedition  consisted  of  one 
hundred  and  eighty  men,  which,  with  the 
troops  Mtesa  gave  him,  made  a  total  of 
two  thousand  two  hundred  and  ninety  men.  To 
this  Httle  army  were  attached  some  five  hundred 
women  and  children,  making  a  sum  total  of  two 
thousand  eight  hundred.  With  this  force,  all  or- 
dinary opposition  could  be  overcome,  and  as  it 
moved  off  with  the  sound  of  drums  and  horns,  and 
the  waving  of  the  English  and  American  flags,  con- 
spicuous amid  those  of  the  negro  army,  it  pre- 
sented a  very  animated  appearance.  But  Stanley 
was  destined  to  find  out  what  others  have  learned 
before  him,  that  a  small  force  under  one's  own 
immediate  command  is  better  than  a  large,  un- 
disciplined one,  that  is  subject  to  the  orders  of 
another. 

General  Lamboozi  had  no  heart  in  this  expe- 
dition, and  soon  showed  it.  But  they  moved  off 
gayly  over  the  swelling  pasture-lands  of  Uganda, 
striking  northwest  toward  the  lake,  which  Stanley 
hoped  to  explore,  as  he  had  the  Victoria  Nyanza. 
The  march  through  Uganda  was  a  pleasant  one 

304 

\ 


SNOW-CAPPED  MOUNTAINS.  ^^^ 

and  they  at  length  reached  the  frontier  of  Unyoro 
and  prepared  for  war. 

On  the  5th  of  January  they  entered  Abba 
Rega's  territory,  whom,  two  years  before,  Baker 
had  driven  from  his  throne,  and  who  naturally  felt 
peculiarly  hostile  to  all  white  men.  But  no  re- 
sistance was  offered— the  people,  as  if  remember- 
ing the  past,  fleeing  before  them,  leaving  their 
provisions  and  everything  behind  them,  of  which 
the  army  made  free  use.  Three  days  after  they 
came  to  the  base  of  a  mighty  mountain,  called 
Kabrogo,  rising  five  thousand  five  hundred  feet 
into  the  air,  presenting,  in  its  naked,  rugged  out- 
line, a  sublime  appearance.  They  encamped  that 
night  on  a  low  ridge,  in  sight  of  the  Katonga 
River,  flowing  east  in  its  course  to  the  Victoria 
Nyanza,  bringing  up  many  associations  to  Stan- 
ley's mind — while  to  the  west  the  Ruanga  filled 
the  night  air  with  its  thunderous  sound,  as  it 
tumbled  over  cataracts  toward  the  Albert  Nyanza. 
From  an  eminence  near  by  could  be  seen  in  the 
distance  the  colossal  form  of  Gambaragara  Moun- 
tain looming  up  from  the  wilderness — a  second 
Mont  Blanc,  rising  some  three  miles  into  the 
cloudless  heavens.  Though  under  the  equator, 
snow  is  often  seen  on  its  summit.  But  what  gives 
it  peculiar  interest  is,  that  on  its  cold  and  lonely 
top  dwell  a  people  of  an  entirely  distinct  race, 
being  white,  like  Europeans.  The  king  of  Uzigo 
once  spoke  to  Stanley  and  Livingstone  of  this 


o 


Qg  IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


singular  people,  and  now  the  latter  saw  half  a 
dozen  of  them.  Their  hair,  he  says,  is  "kinky,'* 
and  inclined  to  brown  in  color;  their  features 
regular;  lips  thin,  and  noses  well  shaped.  Alto- 
gether, they  are  a  handsome  race — the  women, 
many  of  them  possessing  great  beauty.  Some  of 
their  descendants  are  scattered  through  the  tribes 
living  near  the  base  of  the  mountain,  but  the  main 
body  occupy  its  lofty  summit.  The  queen  of  one 
of  the  islands  in  the  Victoria  Nyanza  is  a  descend- 
ent  of  them.  The  history  of  this  singular  people 
is  wrapped  in  mystery. 

There  is  a  tradition  that  the  first  king  of  Unyoro 
gave  them  the  land  at  its  base,  and  the  approach 
of  a  powerful  enemy  first  drove  them  to  the  top 
for  safety.  They  have  become  so  acclimated  that 
they  can  stand  the  cold,  while  the  dwellers  of  the 
plain  are  compelled  to  flee  before  it.  Mtesa  once 
dispatched  his  greatest  general  with  an  army  of  a 
hundred  thousand  men  to  capture  them.  They 
succeeded  in  making  their  way  to  a  great  height, 
but  finally  had  to  withdraw — the  cold  became  so 
intense. 

The  retreat  of  this  pale-faced  tribe  is  said  to  be 
inaccessible.  The  top  is  supposed  to  be  the  crater 
of  an  extinct  volcano ;  for  on  it  there  is  a  lake 
nearly  a  third  of  a  mile  long,  from  the  centre  of 
which  rises  a  huge  rock  to  a  great  height.  Around 
the  top  of  this  runs  a  rim  of  rock,  making  a  natural 
wall,  in  which  are  several  villages,  where  the  prin- 


A  STRANGE  RACE. 


309 


cipal  "medicine-man"  and  his  mysterious  people 
reside  in  their  pecuHar  separateness. 

This  account,  if  true,  does  not  touch  the  origin 
of  this  pecuHar  race  of  people,  nor  in  any  way 
explain  the  fact  of  their  existenee  here  in  tropical 
Africa.     Two  men  belonging  to  this  tribe  joined 
Stanley's  expedition  in  this  march  to  the  Albert 
Lake,  yet  he  seems  to  have  obtained  no  information 
from  them  of  the  history  of  their  tribe.     Whether 
they  had  any  traditions  or  not  we  are  not  informed 
— we  only  know  that  Stanley  found  them  extremely 
uncommunicative.     It  is  possible  they  had  nothing 
to  tell,  for  a  vast  majority  of  the  negro  tribes  of 
Africa  have  no    past;    they  care  neither  for  the 
past  or  future,  so  far  as  external  life  is  concerned, 
Hving  only  in  the  present.     These  two  men  occu- 
pied a  high  position,  for  some  cause,  in  the  army 
under  Lamboozi,  and  were  the  only  ones  who  were 
allowed  more  than  two  milch  cows  on  the  route. 
Various    stories   about   these    people   were   told 
Stanley,  and  it  is  difficult  to  come  at  the  truth, 
About  the  only  thing  that   seems  established  is 
that  this  white  race  exists,  of  whose  origin  nothing 
definite  has  as  yet  been  obtained.     Stanley  says 
that  he  heard  they  were  of  Arab  origin,  but  there 
are  plenty  of  Arabs  in  Africa — in  fact,  all  the  sol- 
diers attached  to  the  expedition  were  Arabs,  and 
colonies  of  them  had  long  existed  in  Central  Africa; 
but  they  are  not  white  men. 

It  seems  impossible  that  Livingstone,  years  be- 


310 


IN  THE   WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 


fore,  should  have  heard  of  this  singular  people, 
and  Stanley  seen  specimens  of  them,  if  no  such 
tribe  really  existed.  It  seems  almost  equally 
strange  that  they  should  be  able  for  centuries  to 
keep  so  isolated  that  their  very  home  is  a  myth. 
The  truth  is,  that  Africa  is  a  land  of  fables  and 
traditions,  that  partake  of  the  wonderful  and  often 
of  the  miraculous.  Mr.  Stanley  was  told  of  other 
tribes  of  white  people  living  in  a  remote  unknown 
region,  possessing  great  ferocious  dogs,  and  also 
of  dwarfs  of  singular  habits  and  customs.  These 
traditions  or  reports,  that  are  invariably  vague  in 
their  character,  usually  have  more  or  less  founda- 
tion in  truth.  Mixed  with  the  wonderful,  that 
always  holds  an  important  place  in  savage  litera- 
ture, there  will  generally  be  found  at  least  a  grain 
of  truth ;  and  the  traditions  of  white  races  among 
a  people  who  had  never  seen  white  men,  could 
hardly  arise  if  no  such  tribes  existed. 

The  diet  of  this  strange  race  consists  of  milk  and 
bananas.  Stanley  says  the  first  specimen  he  saw 
of  the  tribe  was  a  young  man,  whom  he  first  took 
for  a  young  Arab  from  Cairo,  who  for  some  reason 
had  wandered  off  to  Uganda,  and  taken  up  his 
residence  with  King  Mtesa.  The  two  attached  to 
his  expedition  would  easily  have  been  mistaken 
for  Greeks  in  white  shirts.  Stanley,  after  seeing 
these  white  Africans,  the  stories  concernine  whose 
existence  he  had  regarded  as  one  of  the  fables  of 
the  ignorant,  superstitious  natives,  says  that  he  is 


TO  WARD    THE  ALBER  T  NYANZA,  ^  1 1 

ready  to  believe  there  is  a  modicum  of  truth  in  all 
the  strange  stories  that  he  has  been  accustomed 
to  listen  to  as  he  would  to  a  fairy  tale.  Four  years 
previous,  while  exploring  the  Tanganika  with  Liv- 
ingstone, they  both  smiled  at  the  story  told  them 
of  a  white  people  living  north  of  Uzigo,  but  now 
he  had  seen  them,  and  if  it  were  not  that  their  hair 
resembles  somewhat  that  of  the  negro,  he  should 
take  them  for  Europeans.  He  heard  afterwards  that 
the  first  king  of  Kisbakka,  a  country  to  the  south- 
west, was  an  Arab,  whose  scimiter  is  still  preserved 
by  the  natives,  and  infers  that  these  people  may 
be  his  descendants.  He  also  heard  of  a  tribe  that 
wore  armor  and  used  a  breed  of  fierce  and  power- 
ful dogs  in  battle. 

From  this  point  the  expedition  moved  on  toward 
the  Albert  Nyanza,  along  the  southern  bank  of  the 
Rusango  River,  a  rapid,  turbulent  stream,  winding 
in  and  out  among  the  mountains,  and  rushing  on- 
ward in  fierce,  rapid  and  headlong  cataracts  to  the 
peaceful  bosom  of  the  lake.  For  ten  hours  they 
marched  swiftly  through  an  uninhabited  country, 
and  then  emerged  into  a  thickly  populated  district 
Their  sudden  appearance,  with  drums  beating  and 
colors  flying,  filled  the  people,  who  had  no  intima- 
tion of  their  coming,  with  such  consternation,  that 
they  took  to  the  woods,  leaving  everything  behind 
them,  even  the  porridge  on  the  fire  and  the  great 
pots  of  milk  standing  ready  for  the  evening  meal. 
Fields  and  houses  were  alike  deserted  in  a  twink- 


312 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


Hng,  and  the  army  marched  in  and  took  posses- 
sion. Thus  far  they  had  met  with  no  opposition 
whatever,  and  the  warlike  tribe  Stanley  had  feared 
so  much,  and  had  taken  such  a  large  force  to  over- 
come, seemed  to  have  no  existence.  In  fact,  the 
days  had  passed  by  monotonously ;  for  the  most 
part  the  scenery  was  tame,  and  the  march  of  the 
troops  from  day  to  day  was  without  incident  or 
interest,  and  now  at  this  village  they  were  widiin 
a  few  miles  of  the  lake,  to  reach  which  was  the 
sole  object  of  all  this  display  of  force.  Instead 
of  fighting  their  way,  they  found  themselves  in 
undisputed  possession  of  a  large  and  populous 
district,  with  not  a  soul  to  give  them  any  informa- 
tion. 

We  confess  there  is  something  about  this  jour- 
ney from  the  Victoria  Nyanza  to  the  Albert  that 
we  do  not  understand.  By  the  route  on  the  map 
it  must  have  been  nearly  two  hundred  miles,  and 
yet  the  expedition  started  on  January  5th,  and  on 
the  evening  of  the  9th  was  within  three  miles  of 
the  latter,  which  would  make  the  marching  about 
fifty  miles  a  day — an  impossibility. 

Now,  fifty  miles  a  day  for  four  days  would  be 
terrible  marching  for  veteran  troops.  Hence,  we 
say,  the  map  or  journal  is  wrong.  If  he  took  the 
route  he  has  marked  down  and  completed  it  in 
the  time  he  says  he  did,  one  instead  of  two  paral- 
lels of  lonoritude  should  indicate  the  distance  be- 
tween  the  two  lakes.    In  fact,  this  whole  expedition 


A  MISERABLE  FAILURE.  ^  r  ^ 

was  such  a  miserable  failure,  that  anywhere  but  in 
Africa  it  would  be  looked  upon  as  a  farce.  It 
shows  how  utterly  futile  it  is  to  rely  on  the  native 
Africans  in  any  great  enterprise.  The  Arabs  are 
bad  enough,  but  they  are  fidelity  itself  compared 
to  these  black  savages. 

Here  was  an  expedition  numbering  nearly  three 
thousand  souls,  organized  to  secure  a  safe  march 
to  a  lake  not  five  days  distant.  It  met  with  no 
obstacles  of  any  moment,  reached  the  lake,  and 
there,  on  the  mere  rumor  that  hostilities  were  in* 
tended,  practically  broke  up  and  returned.  Stan^ 
ley  had,  with  about  three  hundred  men,  traversed 
an  unknown  country  for  months,  fought  battles, 
and  at  the  end  of  a  thousand  miles  reached  the 
lake  he  was  seeking,  pitched  his  camp,  and  with  a 
crew  of  eleven  men  explored  the  lake  in  its  entire 
circuit,  and  returned  in  safety.  Here,  with  a  small 
army,  after  a  four  days*  march,  he  reaches  the 
Albert  Nyanza,  yet  does  nothing  but  turn  round 
and  march  back  again.  It  would  seem,  at  first 
sight,  strange  that  if  he  could  march  a  thousand 
miles  from  the  sea  to  the  Victoria  Nyanza  and 
then  explore  it,  he  could  not  now  with  the  same 
men  explore  this  lake  without  the  aid  of  Lamboozi 
and  his  two  thousand  or  more  soldiers.  Doubt- 
less he  could  but  for  this  very  army.  Its  disaffec- 
tion and  declaration  that  they  were  not  strong 
enough  to  resist  the  force  about  to  be  brought 
against  them,  created  a  panic  among  Stanley's 


314  ^^  ^^^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

men.  If  two  thousand  fled,  it  would  be  madness 
for  one  hundred  and  eighty  to  stay.  The  simple 
truth  is,  the  more  such  men  one  has  with  him,  un- 
less he  is  the  supreme  head  and  his  will  is  law, 
even  to  life  and  death,  the  worse  he  is  off.  Stan- 
ley, planning,  controlling  and  directing  every  move- 
ment, is  a  power ;  Stanley  under  the  direction  of  a 
swaggering,  braggart  African  negro  general,  is 
nobody. 

Lamboozi  did,  next  morning  after  their  approach 
to  the  lake,  send  out  two  hundred  scouts  to  capture 
some  natives,  by  whom  they  could  get  a  message 
to  the  king  of  the  district,  saying  that  they  had  no 
hostile  intentions,  and  if  permitted  to  encamp  on 
the  shores  of  the  lake  for  two  months,  would  pay 
in  beads,  cloth  and  wire  for  whatever  provisions 
they  consumed.  Five  were  captured  and  sent  to 
the  king  with  this  proposition,  but  he  did  not.  deign 
an  answer.  On  the  nth,  they  moved  the  camp 
to  within  a  mile  of  the  lake,  on  a  plateau  that  rose 
a  thousand  feet  above  its  surface.  A  place  was 
selected  for  a  camp  and  men  and  sent  out  to  cap- 
ture all  the  canoes  they  could  find.  In  three  hours 
they  returned  with  only  five,  and  those  too  small 
for  their  purpose.  But  they  brought  back  word 
that  the  whole  country  was  aroused,  and  that  a 
large  body  of  strange  warriors  had  arrived  on  the 
coast  to  aid  the  king  in  making  war  on  the  new- 
comers. 

Gen-eral    Lamboozi    now    became   thoroughly 


THE  TNCLOklOUS  RETURN; 


315 


alarmed,  and  stubbornly  refused  to  grant  Stanley's 
request  to  move  to  the  edge  of  the  lake  and  in- 
trench. It  seemed  probable  that  the  natives  meant 
to  give  battle,  but  with  what  numbers  or  prospect 
of  success,  Lamboozi  took  no  measure  to  ascertain. 
iSlext  day  he  resolved  to  march  back.  Entreaties 
and  threats  were  alike  in  vain,  and  there  was 
nothing  left  for  Stanley  to  do  but  march  back  with 
him.  He  was  greatly  disappointed  and  thoroughly 
disgusted,  but  there  was  no  help  for  it.  That 
Unyoro  and  Abba  Rega  would  be  hostile,  Stanley 
knew  before  he  started,  and  on  that  account  took 
so  large  a  force  with  him.  Yet  he  says,  after  this 
miserable  failure,  that  it  was  a  foolhardy  attempt 
at  the  outset.  Looking  at  it  calmly,  he  pronounces 
it  a  great  folly,  redeemed  from  absurdity  only  by 
"the  success  of  having  penetrated  through  Unyoro 
and  reached  the  Albert."  It  is  difficult  to  see 
wherein  lies  the  greatness  of  this  success;  for, 
according  to  his  own  account,  it  was  one  of  the 
most  peaceful  marches  he  ever  performed,  with 
hardly  enough  incident  in  it  to  make  it  interesting. 
It  matters  little,  however;  all  that  can  be  said  is, 
they  marched  up  to  the  lake  and  then  marched 
back  again. 

On  the  morning  of  the  13th,  they  began  their 
return  in  order  of  battle — five  hundred  spearmen 
in  front,  five  hundred  as  a  rear  guard,  and  the 
expedition  in  the  centre — but  no  enemy  attacked 
them  or  attempted  to  do   anything  but  pick  up 


3 1  6  ^^  ^^^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

some  stragglers.  The  next  day  the  expeditior 
formed  the  rear  guard,  and  once  some  natives 
rushed  out  of  the  woods  to  attack  them,  but  were 
quickly  dispersed  by  a  few  shots. 

This  is  all  that  happened  to  this  army  in  terrible 
Unyoro,  and  presents  a  striking  contrast  to  Baker's 
gallant  march  through  it  with  his  little  band,  fight- 
ing every  day  for  nearly  a  week.  Four  days 
after,  without  any  further  molestation,  they  re- 
entered Uganda,  where  Lamboozi  turned  off  to 
his  home.  Stanley  had  heard  no  news  of  Gordon 
or  of  the  steamers  he  was  to  place  on  the  lake 
according  to  the  plan  of  Baker;  and  though  at  first 
he  thought  that  he  would  seek  some  other  way  to 
reach  it  and  make  his  explorations,  he  finally  re- 
solved to  start  for  Tanganika,  which  he  would 
reach  in  about  four  months,  and  explore  it.  Hence, 
while  Lamboozi  turned  eastward  toward  Lake 
Victoria,  he  with  his  little  band,  turned  southward. 
He  sent  a  letter,  however,  to  Mtesa,  informing 
him  of  Lamboozi's  cowardice  and  refusal  to  build 
a  camp  at  Lake  Albert,  and  telling  him  also  that 
this  redoubtable  general  had  robbed  him.  He 
had  intrusted  to  his  care  three  porter's  loads  of 
goods  to  relieve  his  own  carriers,  and  these  he 
had  appropriated  as  his  own. 

When  the  letter  reached  the  emperor  he  was 
thrown  into  a  towering  passion,  and  immediately 
dispatched  a  body  of  troops  to  seize  the  general, 
with  orders  to  strip  him  of  his  wives,  slaves,  cattle 


MTESA'S  FRIENDSHIP, 


317 


and  everything  he  possessed,  and  bring  him  bound 
to  his  presence.  He  also  sent  letter  after  letter 
to  Stanley,  begging  him  to  return,  and  he  would 
give  him  ninety  thousand  men,  with  brave  gene- 
rals to  command  them,  who  would  take  him  to 
Lake  Albert,  and  protect  him  there  till  he  had 
finished  his  explorations.  Stanley  was  very  much 
moved  by  this  generous  offer  and  the  anxiety  of 
the  king  to  make  amends  for  Lamboozi's  poltroon- 
ery and  thieving  conduct.  The  noble  savage  felt 
It  keenly  that  he,  who  valued  so  highly  the  esteem 
of  Stanley,  should  be  disgraced  in  his  sight,  and 
it  was  hard  for  the  latter  to  refuse  his  urgent  re- 
quest to  be  allowed  to  redeem  his  character  and  his 
pledge.  But  Stanley  had  had  enough  of  Waganda 
troops,  and  felt  that  whatever  was  accomplished 
hereafter  must  be  by  his  own  well-trained,  compact, 
brave  little  band.  He  kept  on  his  way,  and  never 
saw  Mtesa  again. 

He  had  been  able  to  add  considerably  to  the 
geography  of  the  country  bordering  on  Lake 
Albert.  Usongora,  a  promontory  running  thirty 
miles  into  the  lake  southward,  he  ascertained  to 
be  the  great  salt  field,  from  whence  all  the  sur- 
rounding countries  obtain  their  salt.  From  all  he 
could  hear,  it  was  truly  a  land  of  wonders,  but  he 
says  the  man  who  should  attempt  to  explore  it 
would  need  a  thousand  muskets,  for  the  natives 
cannot  be  enticed  into  peace  by  cloth  and  beads. 
They  care  for  nothing  but  milk  and  goat  skins. 


3i8 


IN  THE   WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 


''Among  the  wonders  credited  to  it/'  he  says,  "are 
a  mountain  emitting  fire  and  stones,  a  salt  lake  of 
considerable  extent,  several  hills  of  rock-salt,  a 
large  plain  encrusted  thickly  with  salt  and  alkali, 
a  breed  of  very  large  dogs  of  extraordinary  feroc- 
ity, and  a  race  of  such  long-legged  natives,  that 
ordinary  mortals  regard  them  with  surprise  and 
awe."  They  do  not  allow  members  of  their  tribe 
to  intermarry  with  strangers,  and  their  food,  like 
that  of  the  dwellers  in  the  Himalaya  Mountains, 
consists  chiefly  of  milk.  Mtesa  once  invaded  their 
territory  with  one  hundred  thousand  men,  to  cap- 
ture cows,  of  which  the  natives  have  an  immense 
number,  and  in  watching  which  consists  their  sole 
occupation.  The  army  returned  with  twenty  thou- 
sand, but  they  were  obtained  at  such  a  fearful 
sacrifice  of  life,  that  the  raid  will  not  be  repeated. 

Stanley  rested  a  few  days  after  Lamboozi  left 
him,  before  proceeding  northward.  He  then  con- 
tinued his  march  leisurely  through  the  country, 
inquiring  on  the  way  the  character  of  the  tribes 
westward  toward  that  part  of  Lake  Albert  which 
extended  south  from  where  he  struck  it,  but  one 
and  all  were  reported  hostile  to  the  passage  of 
any  strangers  through  their  territory. 

Arriving  on  the  Kagera  River,  in  Karagwe,  he 
found  the  King  Rumanika,  a  mild,  pleasant-spoken 
man  and  very  friendly,  but  he  told  him  that  none  of 
the  neighboring  tribes  would  let  him  enter  their 
lands.    Stanley  being  a  little  suspicious  of  the  mo- 


LAKES  OF  KARAGWE. 


319 


tives  that  prompted  this  bad  report  of  the  sur- 
rounding tribes,  to  test  him,  asked  him  if  he  had 
any  objections  to  his  exploring  his  country.  He 
said  no,  and  cheerfully  promised  to  furnish  him 
guides  and  an  escort,  and  his  party  should  be 
supplied  with  food  free  of  charge.  Stanley,  sur- 
prised at  this  generosity,  at  once  got  ready  to 
start.  He  first  went  south  to  Lake  Windermere, 
a  small  body  of  water  so  named  by  Captain  Speke, 
because  of  its  fancied  resemblance  to  the  lake  of 
that  name  in  England.  The  Lady  Alice  was  taken 
there,  screwed  together,  and  launched  on  the 
peaceful  waters.  Accompanied  by  six  native  ca- 
noes, he  sailed  round  it  and  then  entered  Kagera 
River,  called  by  Speke  the  Kitangule.  Suddenly 
it  flashed  on  Stanley's  mind  that  he  had  discov- 
ered the  true  parent  of  the  Victoria  Nile.  It  fed 
and  drained  this  little  lake  some  nine  miles  long. 
Moreover,  he  found  that  there  was  a  depth  of 
fifty-two  feet  of  water  and  a  breadth  of  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  feet.  He  therefore  pushed  up  it 
some  three  days,  and  came  to  another  lake  nine 
miles  long  and  six  miles  wide;  Working  up 
through  the  papyrus  that  covered  the  stream,  he 
came  to  another  lake  or  pond  a  mile  and  a  half 
long.  Ascending  an  eminence,  he  discovered  that 
this  whole  portion  of  the  river  was  a  lake,  large 
tracts  of  which  were  covered  with  papyrus,  or  that 
vegetation  which  we  have  seen  Baker  had  to  con- 
tend with  in  ascending  the  Nile.     It  seemed  solid 


^20  ^^  ^-S"^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

ground,  while  in  fact  it  was  a  large  body  of  watei 
covered  over,  with  here  and  there  an  opening, 
making  a  separate  lake,  of  which  Windemere  was 
the  largest.  This  apparently  underground  lake 
was  some  eighty  miles  in  length  and  fourteen  in 
width. 

Following  the  river  as  it  flowed  eastward  into 
the  Victoria  Nyanza,  he  found  he  entered  another 
lake,  thirteen  miles  long  and  some  eight  miles 
broad.  This  was,  of  course,  the  continuation  of 
the  lake,  covered  at  intervals  with  this  tropical 
vegetation,  which  gave  to  it  the  appearance  of 
land.  There  were  in  all,  seventeen  of  these  lakes. 
This  river  now  broadening  as  the  formation  of 
the  land  causes  it  to  expand,  now  narroA^ing  till 
its  channel  is  forty  feet  deep,  it  at  last  tumbles 
over  cataracts  and  rushes  through  rapids  into  the 
Victoria  Nyafiza.  All  this  seems  of  little  account, 
except,  as  Stanley  says,  he  has  found  in  it  the  true 
source  of  the  Victoria  Nile. 

The  great  and  persistent  efforts  to  find  out  the 
source  of  the  Nile  have  led  explorers  to  push 
their  theories  to  an  absurd  extent.  Becausie 
Herodotus  made  the  Nile  to  rise  in  some  large 
springs,  they  seem  to  think  they  must  find  some- 
thing back  and  beyond  a  great  lake  as  its  source. 
Now,  when  a  river  flows  right  on  through  one  lake 
after  another,  making  lakes  as  the  formation  of 
the  ground  allows,  it  of  course  maintains  its  in 
tegrity  and  oneness. 


SOURCES  OF  THE  NILE, 


Z^\ 


In  this  case  there  is  but  one  main  stream  and 
as  long  as  the  lakes  are  the  mere  spreading  out 
of  that  stream  on  low,  flat  lands,  it  must  remain 
the  same.  But  when  you  come  to  great  reservoirs 
like  the  Albert  and  Victoria  Nyanza  and  the 
Taneanika — into  which  a  hundred  streams,  and 
perhaps  twice  that  number  of  springs,  flow- — to 
go  beyond  such  reservoirs  to  find  the  head  of  the 
stream  is  bringing  geography  down  to  a  fine  point. 
The  outlet  is  plain — you  have  traced  the  river  up 
till  you  see  it  roaring  from  Its  great  feeder.  This 
is  very  satisfactory,  and  should  end  all  research 
after  the  source  of  the  stream.  But  to  insist  on 
taking  measurements  of  a  dozen  different  rivers 
that  flow  into  a  lake  a  thousand  miles  in  circum- 
ference, to  find  which  is  a  mile  longest  or  ten  feet 
deepest,  and  thus  determine  the  source  of  the  out- 
let, is  preposterous.  A  lake  covering  twenty-two 
thousand  square  miles,  fed  by  a  hundred  rivers, 
is  a  reservoir  of  itself,  and  not  an  expansion  of 
any  one  riven  One  might  as  well  try  to  prove 
which  is  the  greatest  source  or  feeder  of  the  At- 
lantic Ocean — the  Amazon,  Mississippi  or  Congo. 

Thus  we  find  Stanley,  when  he  struck  the  Shime- 
eyu  in  Speke  Gulf,  declaring  he  had  found  the  ex- 
reme  southern  source  of  the  Nile ;  and  now,  when 
exploring  another  river  of  a  larger  volume  on  an- 
other side  of  the  lake,  he  changes  his  mind  and  thinks 
he  has  made  a  great  discovery  in  ascertaining  at  last 
the  true  source  of  the  river.     He  found  it  over 


222  ^^  ^^^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

fifty  feet  deep,  which  showed  what  a  volume  of 
water  it  poured  into  the  Victoria  Nyanza.  De- 
scending  it  again,  he  entered  another  lake  some 
thirteen  miles  long  by  eight  wide.  Exploring  this, 
he  was  driven  back  by  the  natives  when  he  at- 
tempted to  land,  who  hailed  him  with  shrill  shouts 
and  wild  war-cries.  The  Kagera,  through  its  en- 
tire length,  maintains  almost  the  same  depth  and 
volume. 

Returning  to  his  generous  host,  he  asked  for 
guides  to  take  him  to  the  hot  springs  of  Mtagata, 
the  healing  properties  of  which  he  had  heard  of 
far  and  wide  from  the  natives.  These  were  cheer- 
fully given,  and  after  a  march  of  two  days  he 
reached  them.  Here  he  was  met  by  an  astonish- 
ing growth  of  vegetation.  Plants  of  an  almost 
infinite  variety,  covered  the  ground,  growing  so 
thick  and  crowding  each  other  so  closely,  that 
they  became  a  matted  mass — -the  smaller  ones 
stifled  by  the  larger — and  out  of  which  trees  shot 
up  an  arrow's-flight  into  the  air,  with  ''globes  of 
radiant  green  foliage  upon  their  stem-like  crowns.'' 
He  found  a  crowd  of  diseased  persons  here,  try- 
ing the  effect  of  the  water.  Naked  men  and 
wonrien  were  lying  promiscuously  around  in  the 
steaming  water,  half-asleep  and  half-cooked,  for 
the  water  showed  a  temperature  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty-nine  degrees.  The  springs  were, 
however,  of  different  temperature.  The  hottest 
one  issued  from  the  base  of  a  rocky  hill,  while 


EXPLORING  THE  KAGERA. 


325 


four  others,  twenty  degrees  cooler,  came  bubbling 
up  out  of  black  mud,  and  were  the  favorites  of 
the  invalids.  Stanley  camped  here  three  days, 
and  bathed  in  the  water  and  drank  it,  but  could 
perceive  no  effect  whatever  on  his  system  Re- 
turning to  his  friend  Rumaniki,  he  prepared  to 
start  on  his  journey  south  to  Lake  Tanganika, 
and  finish  its  explorations. 

Having  discovered  that  the  Kagera  River 
formed  a  lake  eighty  miles  long,  and  was  a  power- 
ful stream  a  long  distance  from  its  mouth,  he  re- 
solved, as  it  flowed  from  the  south,  to  follow  it  up 
and  try  to  find  its  source.  A  broad  wilderness 
lay  before  him,  the  extent  of  which  he  did  not  ac- 
curately know,  and  he  packed  ten  days'  provisions 
on  the  shoulders  of  each  man  of  the  expedition, 
and  bidding  the  soft-voiced  pagan  king,  by  whom 
he  had  been  treated  so  kindly,  a  warm  good-bye^ 
he  entered  the  forest  and  kept  along  the  right 
bank  of  the  stream.  This  was  the  27th  of  March, 
and  for  six  days  he  marched  through  an  unin- 
habited wilderness,  with  nothing  to  break  the 
monotony  of  the  journey.  At  the  end  of  that 
time  he  came  to  the  borders  of  Karagwe  and  to 
tjie  point  where  the  Akanyaru  River  entered  the 
Kagera.  He  dared  not  explore  this  river,  for  the 
natives  that  inhabit  both  banks  are  wild  and  fierce, 
having  a  deadly  hatred  of  all  strangers.  They  are 
like  the  long-legged  race  of  Bumbireh,  and  he  did 
not  care  to  come  in  collision  with  them.     They 


226  ^^  ^^-^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

possess  many  cattle,  and  if  one  sickens  or  dies, 
they  do  not  attribute  it  to  accident,  but  believe  it 
has  been  bewitched,  and  search  the  country 
through  to  find  the  stranger  who  has  done  it,  and 
if  he  is  found,  he  dies. 

All  the  natives  of  the  region  are  passionately 
fond  of  their  cows,  and  will  part  with  anything 
sooner  than  with  milk.  Stanley  says  that  his  friend 
Rumaniki,  with  all  his  generosity,  never  offered 
him  a  teaspoonful  of  milk,  and  if  he  had  given 
him  a  can  of  it,  he  believes  his  people  would  have 
torn  him  limb  from  limb.  He  thinks  that  half  of 
their  hostility  arises  from  the  fear  of  the  evil  effect 
that  the  presence  of  strangers  will  have  on  their 
cattle.  Hence  they  keep  a  strict  quarantine  on 
their  frontiers.  It  is  not  strange  that  they  should 
cherish  this  stock  carefully,  for  it  is  their  sole 
means  of  subsistence. 

This  long  journey  through  various  tribes  is 
singularly  barren  of  incident.  On  the  route  he  lost 
his  last  dog.  Bull,  who  had  bravely  held  out  in  all 
their  long  wanderings,  but  at  last  he  gave  up  and 
laid  down  and  died,  with  his  eyes  fixed  on  the  re- 
tiring expedition.  He  also  met  the  redoubtable 
Mirambo,  and  found  him  not  the  blood-thirsty 
monster  he  had  been  represented  to  be,  but  a 
polite,  pleasant-mannered  gentleman,  and  gen- 
erous to  a  fault.  They  made  blood  brotherhood 
together,  and  became  fast  friends.  At  length,  in 
the  latter  part  of  May,  he  reached  Ujiji,  where  he 


AN  AFRICAN  VILLAGE, 


Z^7 


formly  found  Livingstone.  The  following  extract 
from  a  private  letter  of  Stanley's,  written  to  a 
friend  while  at  Lake  Victoria,  gives  a  domestic 
picture  that  Is  quite  charming,  he  says  that 
"Kagehyl  Is  a  straggling  village  of  cane  huts, 
twenty  or  thirty  in  number,  which  are  built  some- 
what In  the  form  of  a  circle,  hedged  around  by 
a  fence  of  thorns  twisted  between  upright  stakes. 
Sketch  such  a  village  In  your  Imagination,  and  let 
the  centre  of  It  be  dotted  here  and  there  with  the 
forms  of  kidllngs  who  prank  It  with  the  vivacity 
of  kidllngs  under  a  hot,  glowing  sun.  Let  a 
couple  of  warriors  and  a  few  round-bellied  children 
be  seen  among  them  and  near  a  tall  hut  which  Is 
a  chiefs,  plant  a  taller  tree,  under  whose  shade 
sit  a  few  elders  In  council  with  their  chief;  so 
much  for  the  village. 

"  Now  outside  the  village,  yet,  touching  the  fence, 
begin  to  draw  the  form  of  a  square  camp,  about 
fifty  yards  square,  each  side  flanked  with  low, 
square  huts,  under  the  eaves  of  which,  plant  as 
many  figures  of  men  as  you  please,  for  we  have 
many,  and  you  have  the  camp  of  the  exploring 
expedition,  commanded  by  your  friend  and  humble 
servant.  From  the  centre  of  the  camp  you  may 
see  Lake  Victoria,  or  that  portion  of  It  I  have 
called  Speke  Gulf,  and  twenty-five  miles  distant 
you  may  see  table-topped  Maglta,  the  large  island 
of  Ukerewe,  and  toward  the  northwest  a  clear 
horizon,  with  nothing  between  water  and  sky  to 


328  ^^  ^^^  IVILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

mar  its  level.  The  surface  of  the  lake  which  ap. 
preaches  to  within  a  few  yards  of  the  camp  is  much 
rufifled  just  at  present  with  a  northwest  breeze, 
and  though  the  sun  is  growing  hot,  under  the 
shade  it  is  agreeable  enough,  so  that  nobody  per- 
spires or  is  troubled  with  the  heat.  You  must 
understand  there  is  a  vast  difference  between  New 
York  and  Central  African  heat.  Yours  is  a  swelt- 
ering heat,  begetting  languor  and  thirst — ours  is 
a  dry  heat,  permitting  activity  and  action  without 
thirst  or  perspiration.  If  we  exposed  ourselves 
to  the  sun,  we  should  feel  quite  as  though  we  were 
being  baked.  Come  with  me  to  my  lodgings,  now. 
I  lodge  in  a  hut  little  inferior  in  size  to  the  chief's. 
In  it  is  stored  the  luggage  of  the  expedition,  which 
fills  one-half.  It  is  about  six  tons  in  weight,  and 
consists  of  cloth,  beads,  wire,  shells,  ammunition, 
powder,  barrels,  portmanteaus,  iron  trunks,  photo- 
graphic apparatus,  scientific  instruments,  pontoons, 
sections  of  boat,  etc.,  etc.  The  other  half  of  the 
hut  is  my  sleeping,  dining  and  hall-room.  It  is 
dark  as  pitch  within,  for  light  cannot  penetrate 
the  mud  with  which  the  wood-work  is  liberally 
daubed.  The  floor  is  of  dried  mud,  thickly  covered 
with  dust,  which  breeds  fleas  and  other  vermin  to 
be  a  plague  to  me  and  my  poor  dogs. 

"I  have  four  youthful  Mercuries,  of  ebon  color, 
attending  me,  who,  on  the  march,  carry  my  per- 
sonal weapons  of  defense.  I  do  not  need  so  many 
persons  to  wait  on  me,  but  such  is  their  pleasure. 


BEAD  CURRENCY.  2 20 

They  find  their  reward  in  the  liberal  leavings  of 
the  table.  If  I  have  a  goat  killed  for  European 
men,  half  of  it  suffices  for  two  days  for  us.  When 
it  becomes  slightly  tainted,  my  Mercuries  will  beg 
for  it,  and  devour  it  at  a  single  sitting.  Just  out- 
side of  the  door  of  my  hut  are  about  two  dozen 
of  my  men  sitting,  squatted  in  a  circle  and  string- 
ing beads.  A  necklace  of  beads  is  each  man's 
daily  sum  wherewith  to  buy  food.  I  have  now  a 
little  over  one  hundred  and  sixty  men.  Imagine 
one  hundred  and  sixty  necklaces  given  each  day 
for  the  last  three  months — in  the  aggregate  the 
sum  amounts  to  fourteen  thousand  necklaces — in 
a  year  to  fifty-eight  thousand  four  hundred.  A 
necklace  of  ordinary  beads  is  cheap  enough  in  the 
States,  but  the  expense  of  carriage  makes  a  neck' 
lace  here  equal  to  about  twenty-five  cents  in  value, 
For  a  necklace  I  can  buy  a  chicken,  or  a  peck  of 
sweet  potatoes,  or  half  a  peck  of  grain. 

"I  left  the  coast  with  about  forty  thousand  yards 
of  cloth,  which,  in  the  States,  would  be  worth 
about  twelve  and  a  half  cents  a  yard,  or  altogether 
about  five  thousand  dollars — the  expense  of  port, 
age,  as  far  as  this  lake,  makes  each  yard  worth 
about  fifty  cents.  Two  yards  of  cloth  will  purchase 
a  goat  or  sheep;  thirty  will  purchase  an  ox;  fifteen 
yards  are  enough  to  purchase  rations  for  the  entire 
caravan." 

Why  these  naked  savages  put  such  a  high  value 
on  cloth,  none  of  these  African  explorers  informs 


330 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


US.  We  can  understand  why  they  should  like  beads, 
brass  wire,  shells  and  trinkets  of  all  sorts.  They 
certainly  use  very  little  cloth  on  their  persons. 

He  adds:  "These  are  a  few  of  the  particulars 
of  our  domestic  affairs.  The  expedition  is  divided 
into  eight  squads  of  twenty  men  each,  with  an  ex- 
perienced man  over  each  squad.  They  are  all 
armed  with  Snider's  percussion-lock  muskets.  A 
dozen  or  so  of  the  most  faithful  have  a  brace  of 
revolvers  in  addition  to  other  arms. " 

He  then  goes  on  to  speak  of  the  battles  he  has 
fought,  and  it  is  but  just  to  him  to  give  his  feel- 
ings as  he  describes  them  in  confidential  private 
correspondence,  on  being  compelled  to  kill  the 
savages.  He  says:  "As  God  is  my  judge,  I  would 
prefer  paying  tribute,  and  making  these  savages 
friends  rather  than  enemies.  But  some  of  these 
people  are  cursed  with  such  delirious  ferocity  that 
we  are  compelled  to  defend  ourselves.  They  at- 
tack in  such  numbers  and  so  sudden,  that  our  re- 
peating rifles  and  Sniders  have  to  be  handled  with 
such  nervous  rapidity  as  will  force  them  back 
before  we  are  forced  to  death ;  for  if  we  allow 
them  to  come  within  forty  yards,  their  spears  are 
as  fatal  as  bullets ;  their  spears  make  fearful 
wounds,  while  their  contemptible-looking  arrows 
are  as  deadly  weapons.  *  ♦  ♦  Since  I  left 
Zanzibar,  I  have  traveled  seven  hundred  and 
twenty  miles  by  land  and  a  thousand  miles  by 
water.     This  is  a  good  six  months'  work." 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

EXPLORATIONS   OF    LAKE   TANGANIKA. 

IT  was  with  strange  feelings  that  Stanley  caught 
from  the  last  ridge  the  sparkling  waters  of 
Tanganika.  Sweet  associations  were  awak- 
ened at  the  sight,  as  he  remembered  with  what  a 
thrilling  heart  he  first  saw  it  gleam  in  the  land- 
scape. Then  it  was  the  end  of  a  long,  wasting 
and  perilous  journey — the  goal  of  his  ambition, 
the  realization  of  his  fondest  hopes ;  for  on  its 
shores ,  he  believed  the  object  for  which  he  had 
toiled  so  long  was  resting.  No  more  welcome 
sight  ever  dawned  on  mortal  eye  than  its  waters 
as  they  spread  away  on  the  horizon ;  and  though 
he  should  see  it  a  hundred  times,  it  will  never 
appear  to  him  like  any  other  sheet  of  water.  He 
has  formed  for  it  an  attachment  that  will  last  for- 
ever ;  and  whenever  in  imagination  it  rises  before 
him,  it  will  appear  like  the  face  of  a  friend. 

As  he  now  descended  to  Ujiji,  it  was  with  sen- 
sations as  though  he  were  once  more  entering  civil- 
ized life,  for  there  was  something  almost  homelike 
about  this  Arab  colony.  People  dressed  in  civil- 
ized garments  were  moving  about  the  streets, 
cattle  were  coming  down  to  the  lake  to  drink, 
and  domestic  animals  scattered  here  and  there 
made  quite  a  homelike  scene. 


332  *        JN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 

At  first  Sight,  it  seems  strange  that  Stanley 
should  have  selected  this  lake  as  the  next  scene 
of  his  explorations.  He  had  previously,  with  Liv- 
ingstone, explored  thoroughly  the  upper  half  of  it, 
and  passed  part  way  down  the  western  side ;  Liv- 
ingstone had  been  at  the  foot  of  it,  and  to  crown 
all,  Stanley  had  heard,  before  leaving  Zanzibar, 
that  Cameron  had  explored  the  entire  southern 
portion,  so  that  really  there  was  nothing  for  him 
to  do  but  follow  a  path  which  had  been  already 
trodden.  To  employ  an  expedition  fitted  out  at 
so  great  a  cost,  and  spend  so  much  valuable  time 
in  going  over  old  ground,  seems  an  utter  waste 
of  both  time  and  labor,  especially  when  such  vast 
unexplored  fields  spread  all  around  him.  But 
there  was  a  mystery  about  Tanganika,  which  Stan* 
ley  probably  suspected  Cameron  had  not  solved^ 
and  which  he  meant  to  clear  up.  Here  was  a 
lake  over  three  hundred  miles  long,  with  perhaps 
a  hundred  streams,  great  and  small,  running  into 
it,  and  yet  with  no  outlet,  unless  Cameron  had 
found  it,  which  he  thinks  he  did.  To  find  this  was 
the  chief  object  of  the  expedition  Stanley  and  Liv- 
ingstone made  together  to  the  north  end  of  the 
lake.  They  had  heard  that  the  Rusizi  River  at 
that  extremity  was  the  outlet,  but  they  found  it 
instead  a  tributary.  In  fact,  they  proved  conclu- 
sively that  there  was  no  outlet  at  the  northern  end. 
It  therefore  must  be  at  the  southern,  and  if  so,  it 
was  the  commencement  of  a  river  that  would  be- 


CAMERON'S  OUTLET  33^ 

come  a  mighty  stream  before  it  reached  the  ocean. 
But  no  such  stream  was  known  to  exist.  The 
Caspian  Sea  has  large  rivers  flowing  into  it,  but 
no  outlet,  yet  it  never  fills  up.  Evaporation,  it  is 
supposed,  accounts  for  this.  But  the  Caspian  is 
salt,  while  the  Tanganika  is  fresh  water,  and  such 
a  large  body  of  fresh  water  as  this  was  never 
known  to  exist  without  an  outlet,  and  if  it  could 
be  that  evaporation  was  so  great  as  to  equal  all 
the  water  that  runs  into  it,  it  would  not  remain  so 
fresh  as  it  is. 

We  will  let  Cameron  state  his  own  case  concern- 
ing the  solution  of  this  mystery.  He  started  with 
two  canoes  and  thirty-seven  men,  and  sailed  down 
the  eastern  shore  of  the  lake,  now  ravished  with 
the  surpassing  beauty  of  the  scene  composed  of 
water  and  sky,  and  smiling  shores,  and  again  awed 
by  beetling  cliffs ;  one  evening  camping  on  the 
green  banks  and  watching  the  sun  go  down  behind 
the  purple  peaks,  and  another  drenched  with  rain, 
and  startled  by  the  vivid  lightning  and  awful 
thunder  crashes  of  a  tropical  storm,  yet  meeting 
with  no  incident  of  any  peculiar  interest  to  the 
reader.  The  natives  were  friendly,  and  he  de- 
scribes the  different  villages  and  customs  of  the 
people  and  their  superstitions,  which  do  not  vary 
materially  from  other  native  tribes.  At  last,  on 
the  3d  of  May,  he  entered  the  Lukuga  Creek, 
which  a  chief  told  him  was  the  outlet  of  the  lake. 
He  says  that  the  entrance  was  more  than  a  mile 


334 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 


wide,  "but  closed  up  by  a  grass  sand-bank,  with 
the  exception  of  a  channel  three  or  four  hundred 
yards  wide.  Across  this  there  is  a  rill  where  thei 
surf  breaks  heavily,  although  there  was  more  than 
a  fathom  of  water  at  its  most  shallow  part. "  The 
next  day  he  went  down  it  four  or  five  miles,  until 
navigation  was  rendered  impossible,  owing  to  the 
masses  of  floating  vegetation.  Here  the  depth 
was  eighteen  feet,  and  breadth  six  hundred  yards, 
and  the  current  a  knot  and  a  half  an  hour.  The 
chief  who  accompanied  him  said  that  it  emptied 
into  the  Lualaba.  He  tried  in  vain  to  hire  men  to 
cut  a  passage  through  the  vegetation  that  he  might 
explore  the  river.  This  was  all  the  knowledge  he 
obtained  by  actual  observation,  the  rest  of  his  in- 
formation being  obtained  from  the  natives. 

Now,  we  must  say,  that  this  is  a  sorry  exhibit  for 
the  outlet  to  a  lake  almost  twice  as  long  as  Lake 
Ontario.  That  such  an  immense  body  of  water 
should  trickle  away  at  this  rate  seems  very  extra- 
ordinary. Stanley  at  Ujiji  started  inquiries  respect- 
ing this  stream,  and  found  Cameron's  guide,  who 
stoutly  denied  that  the  river  flowed  south  from 
the  lake.  Another  veteran  guide  corroborated 
this  statement,  while  many  others  declared  that 
before  Cameron  came,  they  had  never  heard  of  an 
outflowing  river. 

These  contradictory  statements,  together  with 
the  universal  testimony  that  the  lake  was  continu- 
ally rising  (the  truth  of  which  he  could  not  doubt, 


A   WHOLESALE  MASSACRE.  335. 

as  he  saw  palm-trees  which  stood  in  the  market- 
place when  he  was  there  In  1871,  now  one  hundred 
feet  out  in  the  lake),  made  him  resolve  to  explore 
this  stream  himself.  He  started  on  the  1 1  th  of 
June,  and  three  days  after  landed  to  take  a  hunt, 
and  soon  came  upon  a  herd  of  zebras,  two  of  which 
he  bagged,  and  thus  secured  a  supply  of  meat. 

On  the  19th,  on  approaching  a  large  village, 
they  were  astonished  to  see  no  people  on  the 
shore.  Landing,  they  were  still  more  astonished 
at  the  death-silence  that  reigned  around,  and  ad- 
vancing cautiously  came  upon  corpses  of  men  and 
women  transfixed  with  spears  or  with  their  heads 
cut  off.  Entering  into  the  village  they  found  that 
there  had  been  a  wholesale  massacre.  A  descent 
had  been  made  upon  the  place,  but  by  whom  no 
one  was  left  to  tell.  Its  entire  population  had 
been  put  to  death. 

As  Stanley  proceeded,  he  found  many  evidences 
of  the  steady  rise  of  the  lake.  He  continued  on 
his  course,  finding  the  same  varied  scenery  that 
Cameron  did,  with  nothing  of  peculiar  interest 
occurring,  except  to  the  travelers  themselves,  and 
at  length  came  to  the  Lukuga  Creek.  He  found 
various  traditions  and  accounts  here — one  native 
said  the  water  flowed  both  ways.  The  spot  on 
which  Cameron  encamped,  some  two  years  before, 
was  now  covered  with  water,  another  evidence 
that  the  lake  was  rising.  Stanley  very  sensibly 
says,  that  the  "rill,  "which  Cameron  states  runs^ 


336 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 


directly  across  the  channel,  is  conclusive  evidence 
that  the  Lukuga  runs  into  the  lake,  not  out  of  it ; 
for  it  must  be  formed  by  the  meeting  of  the  inflow- 
ing current  and  the  waves.  An  outpouring  stream 
driven  onward  by  waves  would  make  a  deep 
channel,  not  a  dam  of  sand.  He  tried  several 
experiments,  by  which  he  proved,  to  his  entire 
satisfaction,  that  the  stream  flowed  into  the  lake 
instead  of  being  its  outlet.  Having  settled  this 
question  he  set  about  finding  the  other  river,  which 
the  natives  declared  flowed  out  or  westward.  After 
traveling  some  distance  inland  he  did  find  a  place 
where  the  water  flowed  west ;  it  was,  however,  a 
mere  trickling  stream.  His  account  of  his  explo- 
rations here,  and  of  the  traditions  of  the  natives,  and 
his  description  of  the  formation  of  the  country'' 
and  of  its  prob'  ble  geological  changes,  is  quite 
lengthy,  and  posseses  but  little  interest  to  the 
general  reader. 

The  result  of  it  all,  however,  is  that  he  believes 
the  Lukuga  was  formerly  a  tributary  of  the  lake, 
the  bed  of  which  at  some  former  time  was  lifted 
up  to  a  higher  level ;  that  the  whole  stretch  of 
land  here  has  been  sunk  lower  by  some  convul- 
sion of  nature,  taking  the  Lukuga  with  it,  and  thus 
making  a  sort  of  dam  of  the  land  at  the  foot,  which 
accounts  for  the  steady  rise  of  the  river  year  by 
year ;  and  that  in  three  years  the  lake  will  rise 
above  this  dam,  and,  gathering  force,  will  tear  like 
a  resistless  torrent  through  all  this  mud  and  vege* 


WHERE  IS  THE  OUTLET?  ^^^ 

tation,  and  roaring  on,  as  the  Nile  does  where  it 
leaves  the  Victoria  Nyanza,  will  sweep  through 
the  country  till  it  pours  its  accumulated  waters 
into  the  Lualaba,  and  thus  swell  the  Congo  into  a 
still  larger  Amazon  of  Africa.  This  seems  to  be 
the  only  plausible  solution  of  the  mystery  attached 
to  Tanganika.  The  only  objection  to  it  is,  no  such 
convulsion  or  change  of  the  bed  of  the  Tanganika 
seems  to  have  occurred  during  this  generation, 
and  what  has  become,  then,  for  at  least  seventy 
years,  of  all  the  waters  these  hundred  rivers  have 
been  pouring  into  the  lake  ?  We  should  like  the 
estimate  of  some  engineer  of  how  many  feet  that 
lake  would  rise  in  fifty  years,  with  all  it?  tributaries 
pouring  incessantly  such  a  flood  into  it.  We  are 
afraid  the  figures  would  hardly  harmonize  with  this 
slow  rise  of  the  lake.  It  may  be  that  there  is  a 
gradual  filtering  of  the  water  through  the  ooze  at 
the  foot,  which  will  account  for  the  slow  filling  up 
of  the  great  basin — a  leakage  that  retards  the  pro- 
cess of  accumulation.  But  if  Stanley's  explora- 
tions and  statements  can  be  relied  upon,  the  mys' 
tery  will  soon  solve  itself,  and  men  will  not  liave 
to  hunt  for  an  outlet  long.  He  makes  the  length 
of  Tanganika  three  hundred  and  twenty-nine  geo- 
graphical miles,  and  its  average  breadth  twenty- 
eight  miles. 

The  wonderful  influence  of  Livingstone  over  all 
African  explorers  is  nowhere  more  visible  than  at 
Ujiji,  on  both  Cameron  and  Stanley.    Both  of  these 

22 


338  ^.^  THE   WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 

set  out  with  one  object — to  try  to  complete  the 
work  that  the  great  and  good  man's  death  had  left 
unfinished.  His  feet  had  pressed  the  shores  of 
almost  every  lake  they  had  seen,  as  well  as  of 
others  which  they  had  not  seen.  The  man  had 
seemed  to  be  drawn  on  westward  until  he  reached 
Nyangwe,  where  dimly  arose  before  him  the  At- 
lantic Ocean,  into  which  the  waters  flowing  past 
his  camp  might  enter,  and  did  enter,  if  they  were 
not  the  Nile.  Discouraged,  deserted  and  driven 
back,  he  could  not  embark  on  the  Lualaba  and 
float  downward  with  its  current  till  he  should  un- 
veil the  mystery  that  wrapped  it.  Cameron  be- 
came filled  with  the  same  desire,  but  disappointed^ 
though  not  driven  back,  he  had  pressed  on  to  the 
ocean,  into  which  he  had  no  doubt  the  river  emp- 
tied, though  by  another  route.  And  now,  last  of 
three,  comes  Stanley,  and  instead  of  finishing  Liv- 
ingstone's work  around  the  lakes,  he,  too,  is  drawn 
forward  to  the  same  point.  It  seemed  to  be  the 
stopping-place  of  explorations  in  Africa ;  and  al- 
though he  knew  that  Cameron  had  not  returned 
like  Livingstone,  and  hence  might  have  discovered 
all  that  was  to  be  discovered,  so  making  further 
explorations  in  that  direction  useless,  still  he  felt 
that  he  must  go  on  and  find  out  for  himself. 
True,  there  was  an  interesting  district  between 
Ujiji  and  the  Lualaba.  Th-ere  was  the  beautiful 
Manyema  region,  about  which  Livingstone  had 
talked  to  him  enthusiastically,  with  its  new  style 


DIFFICULTIES  IN  THE  WAY,  ^  .  j 

of  architecture,  and  beautiful  women  and  simple- 
minded  people.  But  those  did  not  form  the  at- 
traction. He  must  stand  on  the  spot  where  Liv- 
ingstone  stood,  and  look  off  with  his  yearning 
desire,  and  see  if  he  could  not  do  what  this  good 
man  was  willing  to  risk  all  to  accomplish. 

At  all  events,  he  must  move  somewhere  at  once, 
and  westward  seemed  the  most  natural  direction 
to  take,  for  if  he  stayed  in  Ujiji  much  longer  the 
expedition  would  break  up.  He  found  on  his  re- 
turn that  the  small-pox  had  broken  out  in  camp, 
filling  the  Arabs  with  dismay.  He  had  taken  pre- 
caution on  starting  to  vaccinate  every  member  of 
his  party,  as  he  supposed,  and  hence  he  felt  safe 
from  this  scourge  of  Africa.  He  did  not  lose  a 
single  man  with  it  on  his  long  journey  from  the 
sea  to  the  Victoria  Nyanza.  But  it  had  broken 
out  in  Ujiji  with  such  fury  that  a  pall  was  spread 
over  the  place,  and  it  so  invaded  his  camp  that  in 
a  few  days  eight  of  his  men  died. 

This  created  a  panic,  and  they  began  to  desert 
in  such  numbers  that  he  would  soon  be  left  alone. 
Thirty-eight  were  missing,  which  made  quite  a 
perceptible  loss  in  a  force  of  only  one  hundred 
and  seventy  men.  The  chiefs  of  the  expedition 
were  thoroughly  frightened,  but  they  told  him  that 
the  desertions  would  increase  if  he  moved  west- 
ward, for  the  men  were  as  much  afraid  of  the  can- 
nibals there,  as  of  the  small-pox  in  their  midst 
They  were  told  horrible  stories  of  these  cannibals 


34^ 


IN  7 HE  WILDS  OP  AFRICA. 


till  their  teeth  chattered  with  fear.     Besides  there 
were  hobgoblins — monsters  of  every  kind  in  the 
land  beyond  the  Tanganika.     Stanley  saw,  there- 
fore, that  prompt  measures  must  be  taken,  and 
he  at  once  clapped  thirty-two  of  the  discontented  in 
irons,  drove  them  into  canoes,  and  sent  them  off 
to  Ukurenga.     He  with  the  rest  followed  after  by 
land  to  Msehazy  Creek,  where  the  crossing  of  the 
lake  was  to  be  effected.     Reaching  the  other  side 
he  proceeded  to  Uguha,  where,  on  mustering  his 
force,  he  found  but  one  hundred  and  twenty-seven 
out  of  one  hundred  and  seventy,  showing  that 
one-third  had  disappeared.     Among  the  last  to 
go,  and  the  last  Stanley  expected  would  leave  him, 
was  young  Kalulu,  whom  he  had  taken  home  to 
the  United  States  with  him  on  his  return  from  his 
first  expedition.     He  had  him  placed  in  school  in 
England  for  eighteen  months,  and  he  seemed  de- 
voted to  Stanley.     A  gloom  hung  over  the  camp, 
and  desertion  was  becoming  too  contagious.     If 
such  men  as  Kalulu  could  not  be  trusted,  Stanley 
knew  of  no  one  who  could  be,  and  with  his  usual 
promptness  he  determined  to  stop  it.     He  there- 
fore sent  back  Pocoke  and  a  faithful  chief  with  a 
squad  of  men  to  capture  them. 

Paddling  back  to  Ujiji,  they  one  night  came 
upon  six,  who,  after  a  stout  fight,  were  secured 
and  brought  over  to  camp.  Afterward  young 
Kalulu  was  found  on  an  island  and  brought  in. 
This  desertion,  is  a  chronic  disease  among   the 


.  CURIOUS  CUSTOMS.  ^.^ 

Arabs.  Their  superstitious  fears  are  quickly 
aroused,  and  they  are  easily  tempted  to  break 
their  contract  and  leave  in  the  lurch  the  man  to 
whom  they  have  hired  themselves. 

Stanley's  march  to  Manyeme  was  noticeable 
only  for  the  curious  customs  or  habits  of  the  peo- 
ple, and  on  the  5th  of  October  he  reached  the 
frontier  of  this  wonderful  country.  Livingstone 
had  halted  here  several  months,  and  this  was  an 
inducement  for  Stanley  to  stop  a  few  days.  The 
weapons  of  the  natives  were  excellent,  and  there 
was  one  custom  that  attracted  his  particular  at- 
tention— the  men  wore  lumps  in  various  forms  of 
mud  and  patches  of  mud  on  their  beard,  hair  and 
head,  while  the  women  wove  their  front  hair  into 
head-dresses,  resembling  bonnets,  leaving  the 
back  hair  to  wave  in  ringlets  over  their  shoulders. 
He,  as  well  as  Cameron,  was  amazed  at  their  vil- 
lages, which,  usually  had  one  or  more  broad 
streets  running  through  them,  each  being  from 
one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  wide, 
and  along  which  are  ranged  the  square  huts,  with 
well-beaten,  cleanly-kept  clay  floors,  to  which 
they  cheerfully  invite  strangers. 

On  the  1 2th  he  reached  the  village  on  the  Luma 
which  he  had  been  following,  where  both  Living- 
stone and  Cameron  left  it  and  turned  directly 
west  to  Nyangwe.  He,  however,  determined  to 
follow  it  till  it  reached  the  Lualaba,  and  then  pro- 
ceed by  this  stream  to  the  same  place.     He  found 


344 


/.V  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 


the  natives  kind  but  timid,  with  many  curious  tra- 
ditions and  customs.  The  expedition  at  last 
reached  the  Lualaba,  and  moving  majestically 
through  the  forest  and  making  rapid  marches,  it 
arrived  on  the  next  day  at  Tubunda.  • 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

NYANGWE    AND   ITS    HISTORY 

NYANGWE  is  the  farthest  point  west  in 
Africa  ever  reached  by  a  white  man  who 
came  in  from  the  east.  It  is  about  three 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  Ujiji,  or  a  little  over 
the  distance  across  New  York  State,  but  the 
journey  is  not  made  in  one  day — Stanley  was 
forty  days  in  accomplishing  it.  Here  he  found 
that  Livingstone,  the  first  white  man  ever  seen 
there,  must  have  remained  from  six  to  twelve 
months.  Livingstone  had  made  a  profound  im- 
pression on  the  natives  of  this  region.  "  Did  you 
know  him?"  asked  an  old  chief,  eagerly.  Stanley 
replying  in  the  affirmative,  he  turned  to  his  sons 
and  brothers,  and  said:  "He  knew  the  good  white 
man.  Ah,  we  shall  hear  all  about  him.'*  Then 
turning  to  Stanley,  he  said:  "Was  he  not  a  very 
good  man?''  "Yes,''  replied  the  latter,  "he  was 
good,  my  friend ;  far  better  than  any  white  man  or 
Arab  you  will  ever  see  again."  "Ah,"  said  the 
old  negro,  "you  speak  true;  he  was  so  gentle  and 
patient,  and  told  us  such  pleasant  stories  of  the 
wonderful  land  of  the  white  people — the  aged 
white  was  a  good  man  indeed."    , 

Livingstone  made  a  strong  impression  on  Stan- 

(345) 


246  ^^  ^^^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 

ley  also,  who,  speaking  of  him  says:  "What  has 
struck  me  while  tracing  Livingstone  to  his  utmost 
researches — this  Arab  depot  of  Nyangwe, — re- 
vived all  my  grief  and  pity  for  him,  even  more  so 
than  his  own  relation  of  sorrowful  and  heavy 
things,  is,  that  he  does  not  seem  to  be  aware  that 
he  was  sacrificing  himself  unnecessarily,  nor  to 
be  warned  of  the  havoc  of  age  and  that  his  old 
power  had  left  him.  With  the  weight  of  years 
pressing  upon  him,  the  shortest  march  wearying 
him,  compelling  him  to  halt  many  days  to  recover 
his  strength,  and  frequent  attacks  of  illness  pros- 
trating him,  with  neither  men  nor  means  to  escort 
him  and  enable  him  to  make  practical  progress, 
Livingstone  was  at  last  like  a  blind  and  infirm 
man  moving  aimlessly  about.  He  was  his  own 
worst  taskmaker/' 

Whether  Stanley's  views  of  the  mental  con- 
dition of  Livingstone — growing  out  of  his  sick- 
ness and  want  of  money  while  in  Nyangwe — are 
correct  or  not,  one  thing  is  true:  that  after  the 
great  explorer  had  seemingly  reached  the  very 
point  when  the  problem  was  to  be  solved  as  to 
where  the  mysterious  Lualaba  flowed,  he  waited 
there  till  he  found  a  caravan  going  east,  and  then 
returned  to  Ujiji  "a  sorely  tried  and  disappointed 
man/'  Standing  on  the  last  point  which  this  in- 
trepid explorer  reached,  Stanley  is  reminded  of 
his  own  earnest  efforts  to  induce  that  worn  hero 
to  return  home  and  recruit,  to  which  the  invaria- 


A  BEAUTIFUL  REGIOlSr, 


347 


ble  answer  was :  "  No,  no,  no ;  to  be  knighted,  as 
you  say,  by  the  Queen,  welcomed  by  thousands  of 
admirers,  yes — but  impossible,  must  not,  can  not, 
will  not  be/' 

Stanley,  on  this  outmost  verge  of  exploration, 
remembered  the  words  of  Livingstone  when 
speaking  of  the  beauties  of  the  region  lying  west 
of  the  Goma  Mountains,  and  says,  "It  is  a  most 
remarkable  region;  more  remarkable  than  any- 
thing I  have  seen  in  Africa.  Its  woods,  or  forest, 
or  jungles,  or  brush — I  do  not  know  by  what  par- 
ticular term  to  designate  the  crowded,  tall,  straight 
trees,  rising  from  an  impenetrable  mass  of  brush, 
creepers,  thorns,  gums,  palm,  ferns  of  all  sorts, 
canes  and  grass — are  sublime,  even  terrible.  In- 
deed, nature  here  is  remarkably  or  savagely  beau- 
tiful. From  every  point  the  view  is  enchanting — 
the  outlines  eternally  varying,  yet  always  beauti- 
ful, till  the  whole  panorama  seems  like  a  chang- 
ing vision.  Over  all,  nature  has  flung  a  robe  of 
varying  green,  the  hills  and  ridges  are  blooming, 
the  valleys  and  basins  exhale  perfume,  the  rocks 
wear  garlands  of  creepers,  the  stems  of  the  trees 
are  clothed  with  moss,  a  thousand  streamlets  of 
cold,  pure  water  stray,  now  languid,  now  quick, 
toward  the  north  and  south  and  west.  The  whole 
makes  a  pleasing,  charming  illustration  of  the 
bounteousness  and  wild  beauty  of  tropical  nature. 
But,  alas !  all  this  is  seen  at  a  distance ;  when  you 
come  to  travel  through  this  world  of  beauty,  the 


348 


JN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 


illusion  vanishes — the  green  grass  becomes  as  dif- 
ficult to  penetrate  as  an  undergrowth,  and  that 
lovely  sweep  of  shrubbery  a  mass  of  thorns,  the 
gently  rolling  ridge  an  inaccessible  crag,  and  the 
green  mosses  and  vegetation  in  the  low  grounds 
that  look  so  enchanting,  impenetrable  forest 
belts." 

Stanley  once  penetrated  into  one  of  these  great 
forests  and  was  so  overwhelmed  by  the  majesty 
and  solemn  stillness  of  the  scene,  that  he  forgot 
where  he  was,  and  his  imagination  went  back  to 
the  primeval  days  when  that  great,  still  forest  was 
sown,  till  the  silent  trees  seemed  monuments  of 
past  histor}^  But  still,  this  district  of  Manyema 
(pronounced  in  various  ways),  he  does  not  think 
so  interesting  as  that  of  Uregga.  In  speaking  of 
the  Lualaba,  after  describing  the  various  ways  in 
which  it  is  spelled  and  pronounced,  he  says  if  he 
could  have  it  his  own  way  he  would  call  it  "Liv- 
ingstone  River,  or  Livingstone's  Lualaba,''  to  com- 
memorate his  discovery  of  it  and  his  heroic 
struggles  against  adversity  to  explore  it.  The 
letter  in  which  he  thus  speaks  of  this  region  is 
dated  November  ist,  1876.  In  three  days  he 
says  he  is  going  to  explore  this  mysterious  river 
to  the  utmost  of  his  power.  Two  days  previous 
to  this  letter,  he  wrote  a  long  one  on  the  horrors 
of  the  slave-trade  that  casts  a  pall  as  black  as 
midnight  over  all  this  tropical  beauty.  He  says, 
that  from  Unyanyembe  to  Ujiji  one  sees  horrors 


THE  SLA  VE  TRADE, 


349 


enough,  but  in  this  region  they  are  multiplied  ten- 
fold. The  traffic  in  slaves  is  so  profitable  and 
keeps  up  such  a  brisk  trade  with  Zanzibar  and  the 
interior  of  Africa,  that  the  native  chiefs  enter  into 
it  on  the  grandest  scale,  or  rather  it  is  more  ac- 
curate to  say,  banditti  under  the  leadership  of  so- 
called  chiefs  enter  into  it  thus,  and  carry  it  on 
with  remorseless  zeal. 

Raids  are  made  on  small  independent  villages, 
the  aged  are  slain  and  hung  up  to  terrify  other  vil- 
lages into  a  meek  acquiescence  in  their  demands, 
and  young  men,  young  women,  and  children  are 
marched  off  to  Ujiji,  from  whence  they  are  taken 
to  Zanzibar,  becoming,  by  their  cruel  treatment  on 
the  route,  living  skeletons  before  they  reach  their 
destination.  Gangs,  from  one  hundred  to  eight 
hundred,  of  naked,  half-starved  creatures  Stanley 
met  In  his  travels,  and  he  wonders  that  the  civil- 
ized world  will  let  insignificant  Zanzibar  become 
the  mart  of  such  an  accursed,  cruel  traffic. 

There  are  regular  hunting-grounds  for  slaves. 
When  the  business  is  dull,  the  inhabitants  are  left 
to  grow  and  thrive,  just  like  game  out  of  sea- 
son in  a  gentleman's  park ;  but  when  the  business 
begins  to  look  up,  the  hunt  begins,  and  the  smiling 
villages  become  arid  wastes.  The  country,  long 
before  he  reached  Nyangwe,  was  a  wilderness, 
where  a  few  years  before  dwelt  a  happy  popula- 
tion. Stanley  gives  extracts  from  his  diary,  show- 
ing up  the  horrors  of  this  system,  which  make  the 


350 


IN  THE   WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


heart  sicken  as  it  thinks  of  what  is  daily  transpir- 
ing in  this  unknown  land. 

Livingstone  saw  enough  when  he  was  at  this 
place  to  awaken  his  deepest  indignation,  but  since 
that  time  the  Arabs  have  pushed  further  inland, 
and  swept,  with  the  besom  of  destruction,  districts 
that  in  his  time  had  been  but  slightly  touched. 

The  trade  in  ivory  is  but  another  name  for  trade 
in  human  beings,  and  the  only  real  commerce  this 
vast,  fruitful  region  has  with  Zanzibar  is  through 
its  captured  inhabitants,  while  the  slain  equal  the 
number  sent  into  captivity.  But,  while  Mr.  Stan- 
ley feels  keenly  the  disgrace  to  humanity  of  this 
accursed  traffic,  he  evidently  does  not  see  so  clearly 
the  way  to  put  a  stop  to  it.  He  is  opposed  to  fili- 
bustering of  all  kinds,  and  to  the  interference  of 
strong  powers  to  coerce  weak  ones  on  the  ground 
of  humanity  or  Christianity,  because  it  opens  the 
door  too  wide  to  every  kind  of  aggression.  In 
fact,  this  makes  it  only  necessary  to  use  some 
philanthropic  catch-word,  in  order  to  justify  the 
annexation  of  any  feeble  territory. 

Stanley  evidently  thinks  there  is  some  limit  to 
the  Monroe  doctrine  of  non-interference  in  the 
affairs  of  other  nations,  as  the  following  extract 
from  one  of  his  letters  shows,  in  which,  after  discuss- 
ing the  whole  matter  carefully,  he  says  he  writes, 
"  hoping  he  may  cause  many  to  reflect  upon  the 
fact  that  there  exists  one  little  State  on  this  globe, 
which  is  about  equal  in  extent  to  one   English 


SLA  VE  PENS. 


351 


county,  with  the  sole  privilege  of  enriching  itself 
by  wholesale  murder,  and  piracy  and  commerce  in 
human  beings,  and  that  a  traffic  forbidden  in  all 
other  nations  should  be  permitted,  furtively  mo- 
nopolized by  the  little  island  of  Zanzibar,  and  by 
such  insignificant  people  as  the  subjects  of  Prince 
Burghosh/'  Mr.  Stanley  is  entirely  opposed  to 
filibustering  and  encroachments  of  strong  powers 
on  feeble  ones,  under  the  thousand  and  one  false 
pretences  advanced  in  support  of  unrighteous 
conquests,  yet  he  evidently  thinks  little  Zanzibar 
should  be  wiped  out,  or  cease  to  be  the  source  and 
centre  of  this  cruel  traffic  in  human  beings.  One 
has  to  travel,  he  says,  in  the  heart  of  Africa  to  see 
all  the  horrors  of  this  traffic. 

The  buying  and  selling  of  a  few  slaves  on  th^ 
coast  gives  no  idea  of  its  horrors.  At  Unyambembe, 
sometimes  a  sad  sight  is  seen.  At  Uganda  the 
trade  begins  to  assume  a.  wholesale  character,  yet 
it  wears  here  a  rather  business  aspect ;  the  slaves 
by  this  time  become  hardened  to  suffering,  "  they 
have  no  more  tears  to  shed/*  the  chords  of  sympa- 
thy have  been  severed  and  they  seem  stolid  and 
indifferent.  At  Ujiji,  one  sees  a  regular  slave- 
market  established.  There  are  "  slave-folds  and 
pens, "  like  the  stock-yards  of  railroads  for  cattle 
into  which  the  naked  wretches  are  driven  by  hun- 
dreds, to  wallow  on  the  ground  and  be  half-starved 
on  food  not  fit  for  hogs.  By  the  time  they  reach 
here  they  are  mere  "  ebony  skeletons, "  attenuated. 


352 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


haggard,  gaunt  human  frames.  Their  very  voices 
have  sunk  to  a  mere  hoarse  whisper,  which  comes 
with  an  unearthly  sound  from  out  their  parched, 
withered  Hps.  Low  moans,  Hke  those  that  escape 
from  the  dying,  fill  the  air,  and  they  reel  and 
stagger  when  they  attempt  to  stand  upright,  so 
wasted  are  they  by  the  havoc  of  hunger.  They 
look  like  a  vast  herd  of  black  skeletons,  and  as  one 
looks  at  them  in  their  horrible  sufferings  he  cannot 
but  exclaim,  "how  can  an  all-merciful  Father 
permit  such  things  ?"  No  matter  whether  on  the 
slow  and  famishing  march  or  crowded  like  strayed 
pigs  in  the  overloaded  canoes,  it  is  the  same  un- 
varying scene  of  hunger  and  horror,  on  which  the 
cruel  slave-trader  looks  without  remorse  or  pity. 

It  may  be  asked  how  are  these  slaves  obtained. 
The  answer  is,  by  a  systematic  war  waged  in  the 
populous  country  of  Marungu  by  banditti,  sup- 
ported by  Arabs.  These  exchange  guns  and 
powder  for  the  slaves  the  former  capture,  which 
enables  them  to  keep  up  the  war.  These  Arabs, 
who  sell  the  slaves  on  the  coast,  furnish  the  only 
market  for  the  native  banditti  of  the  interior. 
These  latter  are  mostly  natives  of  Unyamwege 
who  band  together  to  capture  all  the  inhabitants 
of  villages  too  weak  to  resist  them.  Marungu  is 
the  great  productive  field  of  their  Satanic  labors. 
Here  almost  every  small  village  is  independent, 
recognizing  no  ruler  but  its  own  petty  chief. 
These  are  often  at  variance  with  each  other,  and 


HUNTING  THE  SLA  VES. 


353 


instead  of  banding  together  to  resist  a  common 
foe,  they  look  on  quietly  while  one  after  another 
is  swept  by  the  raiders.  In  crossing  a  river,  Stan- 
ley met  two  hundred  of  these  wretches  chained 
together,  and,  on  inquiry,  found  they  belonged  to 
the  governor  of  Unyambembe,  a  former  patron  of 
Speke  and  Burton,  and  had  been  captured  by  an 
officer  of  the  prince  of  Zanzibar.  This  prince  had 
made  a  treaty  with  England  to  put  a  stop  to  this 
horrible  traffic,  and  yet  here  was  one  of  his  officers 
engaged  in  it,  taking  his  captives  to  Zanzibar,  and 
this  was  his  third  batch  during  the  year. 

There  are  two  or  three  entries  in  Stanley's 
journal  which  throw  much  light  on  the  way  this 
hunt  for  slaves  is  carried  on. 

"October  17th.  Arabs  organized  to-day  from 
three  districts,  to  avenge  the  murder  and  eating 
of  one  man  and  ten  women  by  a  tribe  half-way 
between  Kassessa  and  Nyangwe.  After  six  days' 
slaughter,  the  Arabs  returned  with  three  hundred 
slaves,  fifteen  hundred  goats,  besides  spears,  etc.'' 

"  October  24th.  The  natives  of  Kabonga,  near 
Nyangwe,  were  sorely  troubled  two  or  three  days 
ago  by  a  visit  paid  them  by  Uanaamwee  in  the 
employ  of  Mohommed  el  Said.  Their  insolence 
was  so  intolerable  that  the  natives  at  last  said, 
*we  will  stand  this  no  longer.  They  will  force 
our  wives  and  daughters  before  our  eyes  if  we 
hesitate  any  longer  to  kill  them,  and  before  the 
Arabs  come  we  will  be  off/  Unfortunately,  only 
23 


354 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 


one  was  killed,  the  others  took  fright  and  disap. 
peared  to  arouse  the  Arabs  with  a  new  grievance. 
To-day,  an  Arab  chief  set  out  for  the  scene  of 
action  with  murderous  celerity,  and  besides  cap- 
turing ten  slaves,  killed  thirty  natives  and  set  fire 
to  eight  villages — 'a  small  prize,'  the  Arabs  said." 

"  October  1 7th.  The  same  man  made  an  attack 
on  some  fishermen  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Lua- 
laba.  He  left  at  night  and  returned  at  noon  with 
fifty  or  sixty  captives,  besides  some  children/' 

"  Are  raids  of  this  kind  frequent  ?"  asked  Stan- 
ley. 

"Frequent!''  was  the  reply,  "sometimes  six  or 
ten  times  a  month." 

One  of  these  captives  said  to  Stanley,  on  the 
march  from  Mana  to  Manibo,  "  Master,  all  the 
plain  lying  between  Mana,  Manibo  and  Nyangwe, 
when  I  first  came  here  eight  years  ago,  was  popu- 
lated so  thickly  that  we  traveled  through  gardens, 
villages  and  fields  every  quarter  of  an  hour. 
There  were  flocks  of  goats  and  black  pigs  around 
every  village.  You  can  see  what  it  now  is."  He 
saw  that  it  was  an  uninhabited  wilderness.  At 
that  time,  Livingstone  saw  how  the  country  was 
becoming  depopulated  before  the  slave-traders, 
but  says  Stanley,  "Were  it  possible  for  him  to 
rise  from  the  dead  and  take  a  glance  at  the  dis- 
tricts now  depopulated,  it  is  probable  that  he 
would  be  more  than  ever  filled  with  sorrow  at  the 
misdoings  of  these  traders." 


now  TO  STOP  It.  255 

He  thinks  there  is  but  one  way  of  putting  a  per- 
petual end  to  this  infernal  traffic,  and  that  is  by 
stopping  It  in  the  interior.  English  and  American 
cruisers  on  the  coast  can  have  but  partial  success. 
The  suggestion  of  the  Khedive  of  Egypt  is  the  right 
one.  Annex  the  interior  of  Africa  to  some  strong 
power  and  establish  stations  on  the  great  high- 
ways over  which  these  traders  are  compelled  to 
transport  their  human  chattels,  where  they  will  be 
pounced  upon  and  made  to  give  up  their  captives, 
and  the  trade  will  soon  cease  from  its  being  too 
hazardous  and  unprofitable. 

Portugal  has  no  right  to  the  west  coast,  which 
it  claims.  Let  England,  or  England  and  America 
together,  claim  and  exercise  sovereignty  over  it,  and 
it  will  need  no  cruisers  on  the  coast  to  stop  the 
trade  in  slaves.  At  any  rate,  it  is  high  time  the 
Christian  nations  of  the  world  put  a  stop  to  this 
disgrace  and  blot  upon  humanity. 


A 


CHAPTER  XX. 

ORGANIZING   A   NEW   EXPEDITION. 

RRIVING  near  Nyangwe,  one  of  the  first 
to  meet  Stanley  was  the  Arab,  Tipo- 
tipo,  or  Tipo-tib,  or  Tippu-tib  (which 
IS  the  proper  spelling  neither  Cameron  nor  Stanley 
seems  to  know),  who  had  once  conducted  Came- 
ron as  far  as  Utotera  or  the  Kasongo  country. 
He  was  a  splendid  specimen  of  a  man  physically, 
and  just  the  one  to  give  Stanley  all  the  informa- 
tion he  wanted  respecting  Cameron's  movements. 
He  told  him  that  the  latter  wanted  to  follow  the 
river  to  the  sea,  but  that  his  men  were  unwilling 
to  go;  besides,  no  canoes  could  be  obtained  for 
the  purpose.  He  also  told  him  that  after  staying 
a  long  time  at  Kasongo,  he  had  joined  a  company 
of  Portuguese  traders  and  proceeded  south. 

One  thing  was  clear :  Cameron  had  not  settled 
the  great  problem  that  Livingstone  wished  of  all 
things  to  solve — this  great  unfinished  work  had 
been  left  for  Stanley  to  complete,  or  to  leave  for 
some  future,  more  daring  or  more  successful  ex- 
plorer. Could  he  get  canoes — could  he  surmount 
difficulties  that  neither  Livingstone  nor  Cameron 
were  able  to  overcome  ?  were  the  grave  questions 
he  asked  himself.     He  had  long  dialogues  with 

356 


NEW  PURPOSES,  ^CM 

Tipo-tipo  and  other  Arab  chiefs,  all  of  whom  dis- 
suaded him  from  attempting  to  follow  the  Lualaba 
by  land,  or  trying  to  get  canoes.  They  told  him 
frightful  stories  of  the  cannibals  below — of  dwarfs 
striped  like  Zebras  and  ferocious  as  demons,  with 
poisoned  arrows,  living  on  the  backs  of  elephants, 
of  anacondas,  of  impenetrable  forests — in  short, 
they  conjured  up  a  country  and  a  people  that  no 
stranger  who  placed  any  value  on  his  life  would 
dare  to  encounter. 

The  fact  that  the  Lualaba  flowed  north  to  a 
distance  beyond  the  knowledge  of  the  natives  was 
doubtless  one,  and  perhaps  the  chief,  reason  why 
Livingstone  suspected  it  emptied  into  the  Nile. 
Stanley  now  knew  better.  How  far  north  it  might 
flow  before  it  turned  he  could  not  say,  yet  he  felt 
certain  that  turn  west  it  would,  sooner  or  later, 
and  empty  into  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  and  the  pos- 
sibility of  his  tracing  it  had  a  powerful  fascination 
for  him.  Its  course  he  knew  lay  through  the 
largest  half  of  Africa,  which  was  a  total  blank. 
Here,  by  the  way,  it  is  rather  singular  that  Stan- 
ley, following  Livingstone  who  alone  had  explored 
Lake  Bembe  and  made  it  the  source  of  the  Lua- 
laba, adopts  his  statement,  while  Cameron,  on 
mere  hearsay,  should  assert  that  its  source  was  in 
marshes.  The  river,  after  leaving  the  lake,  flows 
two  hundred  miles  and  empties  into  Lake  Mweru, 
a  body  of  water  containing  about  one  thousand 
eight  hundred  square  miles.     Issuing  from  this,  it 


358 


.  IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 


takes  the  name  of  Lualaba,  which  it  holds  and  loses 
by  turns  as  it  moves  on  its  mighty  course  for  one 
thousand  one  hundred  miles,  till  it  rolls,  ten  miles 
wide  at  its  mouth,  into  the  broad  Atlantic  as  the 
Congo. 

Stanley,  from  first  to  last,  seemed  to  have  a 
wonderful  power,  not  only  over  the  Arabs  that 
composed  his  expedition  as  we  have  before  men- 
tioned, but  over  all  those  with  whom  he  came  in 
contact  in  his  explorations.  Notwithstanding  all 
the  horrors  depicted  as  awaiting  any  attempt  to 
advance  beyond  Nyangwe,  this  Tipo-tipo  agreed, 
for  $5,000,  to  accompany  him  with  a  strong  escort 
a  distance  of  sixty  camps,  on  certain  conditions. 
That  he  would  do  it  on  any  conditions  was  extra- 
ordinary, considering  the  fact,  if  it  was  a  fact,  that 
the  last  attempt  to  penetrate  this  hostile  territory 
resulted  in  the  loss  of  five  hundred  men.  The 
conditions  were,  that  the  march  should  commence 
from  Nyangwe — not  occupy  more  than  three 
months — and  that  if  Stanley  should  conclude,  at  the 
end  of  the  sixty  marches,  that  he  could  not  get 
through,  he  would  return  to  Nyangwe ;  or  if  he 
met  Portuguese  traders  and  chose  to  go  to  the 
coast  in  the  direction  they  were  moving,  he  should 
detail  two-thirds  of  his  force  to  accompany  said 
Tipo  back  to  Nyangwe  for  his  protection. 

To  all  these  Stanley  agreed,  except  the  one 
promising,  if  he  concluded  to  go  on  at  the  end  of  the 
sixty  marches,  to  give  him  two-thirds  of  the  men  of 


NAPOLEONIC  SPIRIT. 


361 


the  expedition  to  see  him  safely  back.  On  this  article 
of  agreement  there  was  a  hitch,  and  Stanley  showed 
his  Yankee  education,  if  not  Yankee  birth,  by  put- 
ting in  a  last  article,  by  which,  if  Tipo-tipo  through 
cowardice  should  fail  to  complete  his  sixty  marches, 
he  should  forfeit  his  $5,000,  and  have  no  escort  for 
his  return.  Stanley  then  gave  him  time  to  think  of 
it,  while  he  went  to  see  young  Pocoke  and  confer 
with  him.  They  went  over  the  whole  ground  to- 
gether, and  Stanley  told  him  it  was  a  matter  of 
life  and  death  with  both  of  them  ;  failure  would  be 
certain  and  perhaps  horrible  death  ;  success  would 
be  honor  and  glory.  It  was  a  fearful  picture  he 
drew  of  the  possible  future,  but  Frank's  ready  re- 
sponse was,  "go  on.'' 

At  this  point  Stanley  reveals  one  of  his  strong- 
est characteristics,  which  we  mentioned  in  the 
sketch  of  him  at  the  bep^innino-  of  the  book — the 
Napoleonic  quality  of  relying  on  himself.  Ordi- 
nary well-established  principles  and  rules  often 
condemned  the  action  of  Bonaparte — results  ap- 
proved them.  So  ordinary  prudence  would  have 
turned  Stanley  back  as  it  did  Cameron — the  stories 
told  him  of  the  character  of  the  tribes  in  advance 
— the  obstacles  he  would  have  to  encounter,  all  the 
mystery,  perils  and  uncertainty  of  the  future — the 
universal  warning  and  fearful  prognostications  of 
those  who  were  supposed  to  know  best — his  iso- 
lated condition  in  the  heart  of  Africa — all  things 
that  could  surround  a  man  to  deter  him  in  his 


362 


IN  THE   WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 


actions,  were  gathered  there  around  that  lonely 
man  at  that  outpost  of  civilized  enterprise ;  yet, 
falling  back  on  himself,  rising  superior  to  all  out- 
ward influences,  gauging  all  the  probabilities  and 
possibilities  by  his  own  clear  perceptions  and  in- 
domitable will,  he  determined  to  push  forward. 
If  he  could  not  get  canoes,  which  he  feared  he 
could  not  any  more  than  Cameron,  then  he  would 
try  to  follow  the  river  by  land;  if  that  failed,  he  would 
make  canoes  in  the  African  forest;  if  he  could  not 
go  peaceably,  he  would  fight  his  way,  and  not  turn 
back  till  deserted  by  his  own  men  and  left  alone 
in  the  midst  of  a  savage,  hostile  people.  This 
determination,  under  the  circumstances,  shows 
him  to  be  no  ordinary  character,  and  marks  him 
as  one  who  in  a  revolution  would  control  the 
stormy  elements  around  him  and  mount  to  power 
or  to  the  scaffold. 

There  were  also  minor  obstacles  attending  this 
desperate  effort  to  trace  J:he  Lualaba  to  the  sea. 
He  had  thirteen  women  In  his  expedition,  wives 
of  his  chief  Arabs,  some  of  them  with  young  chil- 
dren, others  in  various  stages  of  pregnancy,  who 
would  b^  delivered  of  children  before  they  reached 
the  Atlantic  coast,  and  under  what  circumstances 
the  hour  of  travail  might  come  no  one  knew.  It 
might  be  in  the  hour  of  battle,  or  in  the  desperate 
race  for  life,  when  one  hour's  delay  would  be  total 
ruin  to  the  expedition  and  death  to  all.  It  might 
be  in  the  struggle  and  fight  around  a  cataract,  or 


AN  ESCORT  SECURED. 


36j 


in  the  day  of  extreme  famine.  A  thousand  things 
had  to  be  taken  into  consideration  before  resolving 
on  this  desperate  movement.  But  no  matter,  the 
obstacles  might  even  be  more  formidable  than 
represented,  the  risk  tenfold  greater,  his  mind 
was  made  up — the  secrets  of  that  mysterious  river 
he  would  unlock,  or  his  last  struggles  and  myste- 
rious fate  would  add  one  more  to  the  secrets  it 
held. 

At  length  the  contract  with  Tipo-tipo  to  escort 
him  sixty  marches  was  made  and  signed,  and  then 
Stanley  informed  his  own  men  of  it,  and  told  them 
that  if  at  the  end  of  that  time  they  came  across  a 
caravan  bound  for  the  west  coast,  part  would  join 
it,  and  the  rest  might,  if  they  wished,  return  to 
Nyangwe.  They  agreed  to  stand  by  the  con- 
tract and  Stanley  moved  forward  into  Nyangwe. 
Here  Stanley  was  received  by  one  of  the  two 
Arab  chiefs  that  bear  sway  in  the  place,  with  be- 
coming courtesy.  He  seemed  surprised  at  the 
orderly,  quiet  march  of  this  force,  and  still  more 
when  told  that  the  distance  from  Tanganika,  some 
three  hundred  and  forty  miles,  had  been  made  in 
about  forty  days. 

Stanley  describes  minutely  the  place  and  its 
political  management,  but  seems,  like  Livingstone 
and  Cameron,  to  be  particularly  struck  with  its 
market.  This  is  held  every  fourth  day,  and  from 
one  to  three  thousand  people  assemble  to  trade ; 
most  of  the  vendors  are  women,  and  the  animated 


364 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


manner  in  which  trade  is  carried  on  amused  Liv- 
ingstone exceedingly.  Though  he  could  not  un- 
derstand their  language  he  could  interpret  their 
gestures,  which  were  very  expressive.  This  pleas- 
ant scene,  however,  was  marred  one  day  by  a 
messenger  stalking  into  the  market  with  ten  jaw- 
bones of  men  tied  to  a  string  and  hanging  over 
his  shoulder,  he  boasting  of  having  killed  and 
eaten  these  men  and  describing  with  his  knife  how 
he  cut  them  up. 

Early  in  the  morning  of  the  market-day  the 
river,  as  far  as  its  course  can  be  seen,  presents  a 
lively  appearance.  It  is  covered  with  canoes 
loaded  to  their  gunwales  with  natives  and  articles 
for  the  market  piled  on  each  other,  and  they  all 
press  toward  one  point.  Amid  the  laughter  and 
jargon  of  the  natives,  may  be  heard  the  crowing 
of  cocks,  and  squealing  of  pigs  and  the  bleating 
of  goats.  Having  reached  the  landing-place,  the 
men  quietly  shoulder  their  paddles  and  walk  up 
the  bank,  leaving  the  women  to  carry  the  articles 
up  to  the  market-place.  These  are  placed  in 
large  baskets  and  slung  on  their  backs  by  a  strap 
across  their  foreheads.  When  this  great  crowd  of 
two  or  three  thousand  are  assembled  the  babel 
begins.  But  the  talking  and  chaffering  are  done 
by  the  women;  the  men  move  about  paying  but 
little  attention  to  the  bartering,  unless  something 
important,  as  the  sale  of  a  slave,  is  going  on. 
The  women  do  not  walk  about,  but  having  selected 


AFRICAir  MARKETS. 


365 


a  spot  where  they  propose  to  do  business,  they 
let  down  the  basket,  and  spreading  the  articles  on 
the  ground  so  as  to  appear  to  the  best  advantage, 
they  squat  themselves  in  the  basket,  where  they 
look  like  some  huge  shell-fish. 

The  vendors  being  thus  stationary,  the  buyers 
also  become  so,  and  hence  it  is  always  a  close, 
jammed  mass  of  human  beings,  screaming,  sweat- 
ing and  sending  forth  no  pleasant  odor,  for  three 
or  four  hours.  They  do  not  break  up  gradually, 
but  oft  the  movement  of  some  important  person  a 
general  scramble  will  commence,  and  in  twenty 
minutes  the  whole  two  thousand  or  more  will  be 
scattered  in  every  direction.  The  markets  of  this 
region  are  held  on  neutral  ground  by  the  various 
tribes,  and  their  feuds  are  laid  aside  for  that  day. 
Except  at  Nyangwe,  uninhabited  spots  are  se- 
lected. The  neighboring  chiefs  are  always  pres- 
ent, and  can  be  seen  lounging  lazily  about.  Stan- 
ley counted  fifty-seven  different  articles  for  sale, 
ranging  from  sweet  potatoes  to  beautiful  girls, 
while  the  currency  was  shells,  beads,  copper  and 
brass  wire  and  palm  cloth. 

There  are  two  foreign  chiefs  at  the  place,  who 
are  very  jealous  of  each  other,  as  each  wished  to 
be  regarded  by  the  natives  as  the  most  powerful. 
Sheikh  Abed,  a  tall,  thin  old  man  with  a  white 
beard,  occupies  the  southern  section  of  the  town, 
and  Muini  Dugumbi  the  other.  It  has  not  long 
been  an  Arab  trading  post,  for  Dugumbi  is  the 


366 


JN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


first  Arab  that  came  here,  and  that  was  no  later 
that  1868,  and  pitched  his  quarters,  and  now  the 
huts  of  his  friends,  with  their  famihes  and  slaves, 
number  some  three  hundred.  He  is  an  Arab 
trader  from  the  east  coast,  and  soon  after  his  ar- 
rival he  established  a  harem,  composed  of  more 
than  three  hundred  slave  women.  Though  a  rol- 
licking, joking  man  himself,  his  followers  are  a 
reckless,  freebooting  set.  The  original  inhabitants 
of  Nyangwe  were  driven  out  by  Muini  Dugumbi, 
and  now  occupy  portions  of  both  sides  of  the 
river,  and  live  by  fishing,  and  are  said  to  be  a 
singular  tribe.  Stanley  estimated  there  must 
have  been  forty-two  thousand  of  them  in  the  region 
previous  to  the  coming  of  this  Arab  chief,  who 
spread  desolation  on  every  side.  There  remain 
to-day  only  twenty  thousand  of  this  people. 

Stanley  remained  here  only  about  a  week,  for 
Tipo-tipo  arriving  on  the  2d  of  November,  he 
prepared  to  start  on  his  unknown  journey.  The 
expedition,  when  he  mustered  it  on  the  morning 
of  the  4th,  numbered  one  hundred  and  seventy- 
six,  armed  with  sixty-three  muskets  and  rifles,  two 
double-barreled  guns  and  ten  revolvers.  Besides 
these,  there  were  sixty-eight  axes,  that  Stanley, 
with  great  forethought,  purchased,  thinking  the 
time  might  come  when  he  would  need  them  as 
much  as  his  guns.  Tipo-tipo  brought  with  him 
seven  hundred  followers,  though  only  four  hundred 
were    to   accompany   the    expedition   the    sixty 


TJPO-TIPaS  ARMY. 


Z^l 


marches.  Together,  they  made  quite  a  little  army, 
but  many  of  them  were  women  and  children,  who 
always  accompany  the  Arabs  in  their  marches  or 
forays;  still,  the  force,  all  drawn  up,  presented  an 
imposing  display.  A  hundred  of  these  were 
armed  with  flint-lock  muskets,  the  rest  with  spears 
and  shields. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

THROUGH    THE    FORESTS. 

ON  the  5th  of  November,  Stanley,  at  the 
head  of  his  motley  array,  turned  his  back 
on  Nyangwe  and  his  face  to  the  wilder- 
ness. It  was  an  eventful  morning  for  him.  Eight- 
een hundred  miles  of  an  unknown  country  stretched 
before  him,  wrapped  in  profound  myster}^,  peopled 
with  races  of  which  the  outside  world  had  never 
heard,  and  filled  with  dangers  that  would  appall 
the  bravest  heart.  He  felt,  as  he  turned  and  gave 
a  last  look  at  Nyangwe,  that  the  die  was  cast — his 
fate  for  good  or  ill  was  sealed.  What  sad  misgiv- 
ings must  at  times  have  made  a  feeling  of  faint- 
ness  creep  over  his  heart — what  terrible  responsi- 
bilities must  have  crowded  upon  him ;  aye,  what 
gloomy  forebodings,  in  spite  of  his  courage,  would 
weigh  down  his  spirit.  If  he  had  used  canoes,  the 
starting  would  have  been  more  cheerful,  but  the 
dense  and  tangled  forest,  whose  dark  line  could 
be  traced  against  the  sky,  wore  a  forbidding  aspect. 
They  marched  but  nine  miles  the  first  day,  and 
though  the  country  was  open,  the  manner  in  which 
the  men  bore  it  did  not  promise  well  for  their  en- 
durance when  they  should  enter  the  jungle.  Every 
pound  was  carried  on   men's  shoulders,  besides 

(368) 


THE  START. 


369 


their  weapons,  all  the  provisions,  stores  of  cloth, 
and  beads,  and  wire,  the  arms  and  ammunition,  of 
which  there  had  to  be  a  large  quantity,  for  they 
might  be  two  years  fighting  their  way  across  the 
continent,  and  in  addition  to  these  burdens,  the 
boat  in  sections.  The  next  morning,  Tipo-tipo's 
heterogeneous  crowd  started  first,  which  impeded 
the  march  by  frequent  halts,  for  the  women 
and  children  had  to  be  cared  for.  They  soon  en- 
tered the  gloomy  forest  of  Mitamba,  where  the 
marching  became  more  difficult,  and  the  halts  more 
frequent,  while  the  dew  fell  from  the  trees  in  great 
rain-drops,  wetting  the  narrow  path  they  were  fol- 
lowing, till  the  soil  became  a  thick  mud.  The 
heavy  foliage  shut  out  the  sky,  and  the  disordered 
caravan  marched  on  in  gloomy  twilight,  and  at 
last,  drenched  to  the  skin,  reached  a  village  four 
miles  from  camp  and  waited  for  the  carriers  of 
the  boat  to  arrive.  These  found  the  boat  a  heavy 
burden,  for  the  foliage  grew  so  thick  and  low  over 
the  path,  that  the  sections  had  to  be  pushed  by 
sheer  force  through  it.  To  make  the  camp  even 
more  gloomy,  one  of  the  Arab  chiefs  who  had  been 
in  the  forest  before,  said,  with  great  complacency, 
that  what  they  had  endured  was  nothing  to  that 
which  was  before  them.  The  next  day  the  path 
was  so  overgrown  and  obstructed  by  fallen  trees, 
that  axemen  had  to  go  before  the  carriers  of  the 
boat  to  clear  the  way  for  them.  On  the  loth,  hav- 
ing reached  Uregga,  a  village  in  the  very  heart 

2Ar 


^^Q  IN  THE  WILDS  OF- AFRICA. 

of  the  forest,  they  halted  for  a  rest.  Its  isolated 
inhabitants  seemed  to  be  in  advance  of  those  whom 
Stanley  had  seen  elsewhere.  The  houses  were 
built  in  blocks,  which  were  square  like  those  of 
Manyema,and  they  contained  various  fancy  articles, 
some  of  them  displaying  great  taste.  Here  Stan- 
ley saw  curiously  carved  bits  of  wood,  and  hand- 
some spoons,  and  for  the  first  time  in  Africa,  he 
beheld  a  cane  settee. 

The  men  carrying  the  boat  did  not  come  up  for 
two  days,  and  then  quite  broken  and  disheartened. 
Indeed,  here  almost  at  the  very  outset,  everything 
seemed  to  point  to  an  early  dissolution  of  the  ex- 
pedition. Not  only  were  his  men  discontented, 
but  Tipo-tipo,  with  all  his  elegance  of  manner  and 
pompous  pretence,  began  to  glower  and  grumble, 
not  merely  at  the  hardships  his  people  were  com- 
pelled to  encounter,  but  because  sickness  had 
broken  out  in  his  cdmp. 

On  the  13th,  three  hundred  out  of  the  seven 
hundred  of  his  men  branched  off  from  the  expe- 
dition. The  marching  now  became  not  only 
monotonous  but  extremely  painful,  and  so  slow 
that  it  took  a  whole  day's  march  to  make  a  dis- 
tance of  nine  miles — a  rate  of  progress  that  Stan- 
ley saw  very  clearly  would  never  bring  him  to  the 
Atlantic  Ocean.  They  had  now  been  seven  days 
on  the  march  and  had  made  but  about  forty  miles, 
and  scarcely  one  mile  west.  Thus  far  their  course 
had  been  almost  due  north  toward  the  ^reat  desert 


DISCO URA GING  PROGRESS.  ^  j  j 

of  Sahara,  and  not  toward  the  Atlantic  Ocean. 
These  five  days  had  been  utterly  thrown  away,  so 
far  as  progress  in  the  right  direction  was  concerned ; 
not  an  inch  had  been  gained,  and  the  whole  expe- 
dition was  discouraged.  The  carriers  of  the  boat 
begged  Stanley  to  throw  it  away  or  go  back  to 
Nyangwe,  while  the  Arab  chiefs  made  no  attempt 
to  conceal  their  discontent,  but  openly  expressed 
their  disinclination  to  proceed  any  farther.  Even 
the  splendid  barbarian  dandy,  Tipo-tipo,  who  prided 
himself  on  his  superiority  to  all  other  Arabs,  began 
to  look  moody,  while  increasing  sfckness  in  the 
camp  cast  additional  gloom  over  it.  Huge  ser- 
pents crossed  their  path,  while  all  sorts  of  wild 
beasts  and  vermin  peopled  the  dense  forest  and 
swarmed  around  them. 

On  the  15th,  they  made  but  six  miles  and  a  half 
and  yet,  short  as  was  the  distance,  it  took  the  men 
carrying  the  boat  twenty-four  hours  to  make  it, 
and  all  were  so  weary  that  a  halt  of  an  entire  day 
was  ordered  to  let  them  rest.  In  addition  to  this, 
the  forest  became  ten  times  more  matted  than  be- 
fore. Both  the  heavier  timber  and  the  under- 
growth grew  thicker  and  thicker,  shutting  out  not 
only  the  light  of  the  sun,  but  every  particle  of 
moving  air,  so  that  the  atmosphere  became  suffo- 
cating and  stifling.  Panting  for  breath,  the  little 
army  crawled  and  wormed  itself  through  the  inter- 
lacing branches,  and  when  night  came  down  were 
utterly  disheartened.     Even  the  elegant  Tipo-tipo 


^72  ^^  ^^^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 

now  gave  out,  and  came  to  Stanley  to  be  released 
from  his  engagement.  It  was  in  vain  that  the 
latter  appealed  to  his  honor,  his  pride  and  fear  of 
ridicule  should  he  now  turn  back  to  Nyangwe. 
But  to  everything  he  could  urge,  the  very  sensible 
answer  was  returned :  "  If  there  is  nothing  worse 
than  this  before  us,  it  will  yet  take  us,  at  the  rate 
we  are  going,  a  year  to  make  the  sixty  marches 
and  as  long  a  time  to  return.  You  are  only  killing 
everybody  by  your  obstinacy ;  such  a  country  was 
never  made  for  decent  men  to  travel  in,  it  was 
made  for  pagans  and  monkeys. '' 

It  is  in  circumstances  like  these  that  those  quali- 
ties which  have  made  Stanley  the  most  successful 
explorer  of  modern  times,  exhibit  themselves.  Na- 
poleon said,  when  speaking  of  troops,  "  Even 
brave  soldiers  have  their  'moment  de peur,'''  the 
time  when  they  shrink.  But  this  man  seems  an 
exception  to  this  rule.  To  him  the  moment  of 
fear  never  seems  to  come,  for  he  never  feels  the 
contagion  of  example.  He  adheres  to  his  reso- 
lution to  go  on,  if  but  a  handful  stand  by  him.  He 
seems  impervious  to  the  contagion  that  seizes 
others,  and  a  panic  in  battle  would  sweep  by  him 
unmoved.  After  talking  to  Tipo-tipo  for  two 
hours,  he  finally  got  him  to  agree  to  accompany 
him  twenty  marches  farther. 

There  were  two  things  in  this  village,  shut  up  in 
the  heart  of  the  forest,  that  impressed  Stanley  very 
much.     He  found  here  a  primitive  forge,  in  which 


WONDERS  OF  THE  FOREST, 


Z7i 


the  natives  smelted  iron-ore,  found  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, and  a  smithy,  in  which  the  iron  was 
worked  up  into  instruments  of  all  kinds,  from  a 
small  knife  to  a  cleaver ;  hatchets,  hammers,  even 
wire  and  ornaments  for  the  arms  and  legs  were 
made.  How  this  rude  people,  to  whom  even  an 
Arab  trader  had  never  come,  should  have  dis- 
covered the  properties  of  iron-ore,  how  to  disen- 
gage the  iron  and  then  work  it  into  every  variety 
of  instruments,  is  inexplicable.  The  whole  must 
have  been  the  product  of  the  brain  of  some  native 
genius. 

The  other  remarkable  thing  was  a  double  row 
of  skulls,  running  the  entire  length  of  the  village, 
set  in  the  ground,  leaving  the  naked,  round  top 
glistening  in  the  sun.  There  were  nearly  two 
hundred  of  them.  Amazed,  he  asked  his  Arabs 
what  they  were,  they  replied  "soko  skulls.''  The 
soko,  Cameron  calls  a  gorilla,  and  we  have  no 
doubt  many  of  the  remarkable  stories  about  go- 
rillas refer  to  this  monkey.  But  Livingstone 
says  it  is  an  animal  resembling  the  gorilla,  and 
his  account  of  their  habits  shows  they  are  not  the 
fierce,  fearless  gorilla  that  is  afraid  of  neither  man 
nor  beast.  The  soko  is  about  four  feet  ten  inches 
in  height,  and  often  walks  erect,  with  his  hands 
resting  on  his  head  as  if  to  steady  himself.  With 
a  yellow  face  adorned  with  ugly  whiskers,  a  low 
forehead  and  high  ears,  he  looks  as  if  he  might 
be  a  hideous  cross  between  a  man  and  a  beast. 


oy^  IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 

His  teeth,  though  dog-like  in  their  size,  still  slightly 
resemble  those  found  in  the  human  head.  The 
fingers  are  almost  exactly  like  the  natives.  He 
is  cunning  and  crafty,  and  will  often  stalk  a  man 
or  woman  as  stealthily  as  a  hunter  will  a  deer. 
He  seldom  does  much  damage,  unless  driven  to 
bay,  when  he  fights  fiercely.  He  takes  great 
pleasure  in  nabbing  children  and  carrying  them 
up  into  a  tree  and  holding  them  in  his  arms,  but 
if  a  bunch  of  bananas  is  thrown  on  the  ground  he 
will  descend,  and  leaving  the  child,  will  seize  it. 
He  seldom  uses  his  teeth,  but  in  conflict  with  a 
man  he  has  been  known  to  bite  off  his  opponent's 
fingers  and  then  let  him  go.  They  are  hunted 
and  trapped  by  the  natives  for  their  flesh,  which 
is  regarded  as  very  good  eating. 

Stanley,  not  satisfied  with  the  answer  of  his 
men  concerning  the  skulls,  sent  for  the  chief  and 
asked  him  whose  they  were.  He  said  of  the 
sokos,  which  they  hunt  because  of  the  destruc- 
tion they  make  of  the  bananas,  and  that  their 
meat  was  good.  Stanley  offered  him  a  hundred 
cowries  if  he  would  bring  one  to  him  alive  or 
dead.  The  chief  went  into  the  woods  to  hunt 
them,  but  at  evening  returned  without  success. 
He,  however,  gave  him  a  portion  of  what  he  af- 
firmed to  be  the  skin  of  one.  Stanley  had  the 
curiosity  to  take  two  of  these  skulls  home  with 
him,  and  gave  them  to  Professor  Huxley  to  ex- 
amine, who  reported  they  were  the  skulls  of  a 


BOKO  SKULLS, 


%n 


man  and  a  woman.  Stanley,  therefore,  came 
to  the  conclusion  that  they  were  the  skulls  of 
men  and  women  who  had  been  eaten  by  these 
cannibals.  But  we  do  not  believe  this  conclusion 
fairly  justifiable,  from  Professor  Huxley's  report 
on  two  skulls.  In  the  first  place,  the  Arabs  would 
scarcely  have  made  such  a  mistake  as  this  implies — 
they  had  seen  too  many  soko  skulls.  In  the  second 
place,  the  chief  corroborated  their  statement,  and 
he  had  no  reason  for  telling  a  falsehood.  If  those 
skulls  were  placed  thus  prominently  in  the  streets, 
it  was  to  boast  of  them,  not  to  lie  about  them.  It 
is  far  more  likely  that  there  were  a  few  human 
skulls  mixed  in  with  the  sokos,  and  that  when 
Stanley  asked  for  a  couple,  the  largest  and  best- 
shaped  were  selected  for  him  which  proved  to  be- 
long to  human  beings.  His  hunting  for  one  was 
certainly  not  to  prove  he  had  told  Stanley  a  false- 
hood. The  same  peculiarity  was  noticed  here 
that  Baker  mentions  of  the  natives  of  Fatiko — 
the  women  go  naked,  while  the  men  are  partly 
covered  with  skins.  The  whole  apparel  of  the 
women  is  an  apron  four  inches  square. 

On  the  19th  of  March,  they  reached  the  Lualaba, 
sweeping  majestically  through  the  silent  forest, 
Stanley  immediately  determined  there  should  be 
no  more  tangled  forests  for  him,  but  that  the  broad 
current  of  the  river  should  bear  him  to  the  At- 
lantic Ocean  or  to  death.  The  camp  was  pre- 
pared and  the  breakfast  eaten,  while  Pocoke  was 


37^ 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 


getting  the  Lady  Alice  screwed  together.  Soon 
she  was  launched  on  the  stream,  amid  the  huzzas 
of  the  party.  Although  the  river  here  was 
nearly  three-quarters  of  a  mile  wide,  and  the  op- 
posite shore  appeared  like  an  uninhabited  forest, 
yet  sharp  eyes  detected  the  wonderful  apparition 
that  had  appeared  on  the  farther  shore,  and  the 
news  spread  so  rapidly,  that  when  Stanley  in  the 
Lady  Alice  approached  it,  he  saw  the  woods  alive 
with  human  beings,  and  several  canoes  tied  to  the 
shore.  He  hailed  them,  and  tried  to  make  a  bar- 
gain with  them  to  transport  his  party  across. 
They  refused  point-blank,  but  afterwards  seemed 
to  relent  and  offered  to  exchange  blood-brother- 
hood with  them,  and  appointed  a  place  on  a  neigh- 
boring island  where  the  ceremony  should  be 
performed.  It  was,  however,  discovered  that  it 
was  a  treacherous  plot  to  murder  them,  and  but 
for  precautions  taken  in  view  of  its  possibility, 
there  would  have  been  a  fight. 

Stanley  now  determined  to  cross  his  men  by 
detachments  in  his  own  boat.  He  took  over  thirty 
above  the  village  and  told  the  natives  that  they 
had  better  assist  him  in  carrying  over  the  rest,  for 
which  he  promised  they  should  be  well  paid.  They 
finally  consented,  and  the  whole  expedition  was 
soon  landed  safely  on  the  left  bank  of  the  riven 


H 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

FLOATING    DOWN    THE    CONGO. 

AVING  been  ferried  across  the  river  by 
the  natives,  Stanley  felt  quite  secure  of 
the  friendship  of  this  first  tribe  he  had 
met  on  the  banks  of  the  Lualaba.  But  here  he 
resolved  to  change  its  name  to  Livingstone,  which 
ever  after  he  continues  to  call  it.  Villages  lined 
the  banks,  all,  he  says,  adorned  with  skulls  of  hu- 
man beings.  But  instead  of  finding  the  inhabit- 
ants of  them  friendly,  there  were  none  to  be  seen  ; 
all  had  mysteriously  disappeared,  whether  from 
fright  or  to  arouse  the  tribes  below,  it  was  impos- 
sible to  determine;  it  seemed  from  the  former, 
for  notwithstanding  they  had  overcome  their  first 
fear  so  much  as  to  ferry  the  expedition  across  the 
river,  they  had  not  taken  away  their  canoes,  nor 
carried  with  them  their  provisions.  Leaving  these 
untouched,  as  a  sort  of  promise  to  the  tribes  below 
that  their  property  should  be  held  sacred,  the  ex- 
pedition took  up  its  march  down  the  river.  Stan- 
ley, with  thirty-three  men,  went  by  water,  in  the 
Lady  Alice,  while  Tipo-tipo  and  young  Pocoke 
with  the  rest  of  the  party  marched  along  the  bank. 
Village  after  village  was  passed;  the  natives  ut- 
tering their  wild  war-cry,  and  then  disappearing 

(379) 


3So 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


in  the  forest,  leaving  everything  behind  them. 
Whether  it  was  a  peaceful  village,  or  a  crowded 
market-place  they  passed,  they  inspired  the  same 
terror,  and  huts  and  market-places  were  alike  de- 
serted.    This  did  not  promise  well  for  the  future. 

In  the  middle  of  the  afternoon,  Stanley,  in  the 
Lady  Alice,  came  to  a  river  one  hundred  yards 
wide.  Knowing  that  the  land  party  could  not 
cross  this  without  a  boat,  he  halted  to  wait  for  its 
approach  in  order  to  ferry  it  over,  and  built  a 
strong  camp.  This  was  on  November  23d,  1876. 
At  sunset  it  had  not  arrived,  and  he  became  anx- 
ious. Next  morning  it  did  not  make  its  appear- 
ance, and  still  more  anxious,  he  ascended  this 
river,  named  the  Ruigi,  several  miles,  to  see  if 
they  had  struck  it  farther  up. 

Returning,  in  the  afternoon  without  hearing  any- 
thing of  the  expedition,  he  was  startled  as  he  ap- 
proached the  camp,  by  the  rapid  firing  of  guns. 
Alarmed,  he  told  the  rowers  to  bend  to  their  oars, 
and  sweeping  rapidly  downward,  he  soon  came  to 
the  mouth  of  the  stream  and  found  it  blocked 
with  canoes  filled  with  natives.  Dashing  down 
upon  them  with  loud  shouts,  they  fled  in  every  di- 
rection. One  dead  man  floating  in  the  stream 
was  the  only  result  of  the  first  fight  on  the  Liv- 
ingstone. 

The  day  wore  away  and  night  came  down,  and 
silence  and  solitude  rested  on  the  forest  stretch* 
ing  along  the  banks  of  the  Ruigi,  where  he  anx- 


TERRIBLE  SUSPENSE. 


38 1 


iously  waited  to  hear  musket-shots  announcing 
the  arrival  of  the  land  party.  It  was  a  long  and 
painful  night,  for  one  of  two  things  was  certain; 
Tipo-tipo  and  Pocoke  had  lost  their  way  or  had 
been  attacked  and  overpowered.  The  bright 
tropical  sun  rose  over  the  forest  east  of  the  river 
Ruigi,  but  its  banks  were  silent  and  still.  Stanley 
could  not  endure  the  suspense  any  longer,  and 
dispatched  Uledi,  with  five  of  the  boat's  crew,  to 
seek  the  wanderers.  This  Uledi,  hereafter  to  the 
close  of  the  march,  becomes  a  prominent  figure. 
Stanley  had  made  him  coxswain  of  the  boat  Lady 
Alice,  and  he  had  proved  to  be  one  of  the  most 
trustworthy  men  of  the  expedition,  and  was  to 
show  himself  in  its  future  desperate  fortunes,  one 
of  the  most  cool  and  daring,  worthy,  only  half- 
civilized  as  he  was,  to  stand  beside  Stanley.  The 
latter  gave  him  strict  directions  as  to  his  conduct 
in  hunting  up  the  fugitives — especially  respecting 
the  villages  he  might  come  across.  Uledi  told 
Stanley  not  to  be  anxious — he  would  soon  find 
the  lost  party. 

Stanley,  of  course,  could  do  nothing  but  wait, 
though  filled  with  the  most  anxious  thoughts. 
The  Tiver  swept  by  calmly  as  ever,  unconscious 
of  the  troubled  hearts  on  its  banks  ;  the  great  forest 
stood  silent  and  still  in  the  tropical  sun,  and  the 
day  wore  away  as  it  ever  does,  thoughtless  of  the 
destinies  its  hours  are  settling,  and  indifferent  to 
the  human  suffering  that  crowds  them.     But  at 


382  ^^  THE   WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 

four  o'clock  a  musket-shot  rang  out  of  the  woods, 
and  soon  Uledi  appeared  leading  the  lost  party. 
They  had  gone  astray  and  been  attacked  by  the 
natives,  who  killed  three  of  their  number.  Luckily 
they  captured  a  prisoner,  whom  they  forced  to  act 
as  a  guide  to  conduct  them  back  to  the  river,  and, 
after  marching  all  day,  met  Uledi  in  search  of  them. 
They  were  ferried  across  and  allowed  to  scatter 
abroad  in  search  of  food,  which  they  took  where- 
ever  found,  without  any  regard  to  the  rights  of  the 
natives.  Necessity  had  compelled  Stanley  to  re- 
lax his  strict  rules  in  this  respect. 

The  next  day  the  march  was  continued  as  before, 
communication  being  kept  up  by  those  on  the  land 
and  on  the  water  by  drum-taps.  The  villages  they 
passed  were  deserted — every  soul  fleeing  at  their 
approach.  Proceeding  down  the  river,  they  came 
across  six  abandoned  canoes  more  or  less  injured. 
Repairing  these,  they  lashed  them  together  as  a 
floating  hospital  for  the  sick  of  the  land  party,  the 
number  of  which  had  greatly  increased  from  the 
exposures  and  hardships  they  were  compelled  to 
undergo.  In  the  afternoon  they  came  upon  the 
first  rapids  they  had  met.  Some  boats,  attempting 
their  descent,  were  upset  and  attacked  by  the 
na«tives,  who  were,  however,  soon  beaten  off.  Four 
Snider  rifles  were  lost,  which  brought  down  on 
Pocoke,  who  had  permitted  the  Arabs  to  run  this 
risk,  a  severe  rebuke,  and  a  still  severer  one  on 
the  Arab  chief,  who  had  asked  the  former  to  let 


DRIFTING  DOWNWARD. 


l^l 


him  make  the  attempt.  The  chief,  enraged  at  the 
reproaches  heaped  upon  him,  went  to  Tipo-tipo, 
and  declared  that  he  would  not  serve  Stanley  any 
longer.  This,  together  with  the  increased  hostility 
of  the  natives,  the  alarming  sickness,  and  the  dan- 
gerous rapids,  brought  the  head  chief  to  Stanley 
with  a  solemn  appeal  to  turn  back  before  it  was 
too  late.  But  the  latter  had  reached  a  point  where 
nothing  but  absolute  fate  could  turn  him  back. 

The  rapids  were  passed  in  safety  by  the  canoe 
< — the  Lady  Alice  being  carried  around  them  on 
men's  shoulders.  Natives  were  occasionally  met, 
but  no  open  hostility  was  shown  for  several  days. 
The  river  would  now  be  contracted  by  the  bold 
shores,  and  rush  foaming  along  and  now  spread 
into  lake-like  beauty,  dotted  with  green  islands, 
the  quiet  abodes  of  tropical  birds  and  monkeys, 
which  filled  the  air  with  a  jargon  of  sounds. 

On  the  4th  of  December  they  came  to  a  long, 
straggling  town,  composed  of  huts  only  seven  feet 
long  by  five  wide,  standing  apart,  yet  connected 
by  roofs,  the  intervening  spaces  covered  and  com- 
mon to  the  inhabitants  of  both  the  adjacent  huts. 
It  was,  however,  deserted,  like  the  rest.  This  per- 
sistent desertion  was  almost  as  dispiriting  as  open 
diostility,  and  an  evil  fate  seemed  to  hang  over  the 
expedition.  The  sickness  kept  increasing,  and 
day  after  day  all  that  broke  the  monotony  of  the 
weary  hours  was  the  tossing  over  now  and  then 
of  dead  bodies  into  the  river.     The  land  party  pre- 


384 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


sented  a  heart-broken  appearance  as  they  crawleOj^ 
at  night,  laden  with  the  sick  and  dying,  into  camp. 
At  this  place  Stanley  found  an  old,  battered,  aban- 
doned canoe,  capable  of  carrying  sixty  people. 
This  he  repaired,  and  added  it  to  his  floating  hos- 
pital. 

On  the  8th  of  December  he  came  to  another 
large  town,  the  inhabitants  of  which,  in  spite  of  all 
attempts  to  make  peace,  were  determined  to  fight 
With  fourteen  canoes  they  approached  the  bank 
on  which  the  land  party  were  encamped,  and  com- 
menced shooting  their  arrows.  This  lasted  for 
some  time,  when  Stanley  took  the  Lady  Alice  and 
dashed  among  them,  pouring  in  at  the  same  time 
such  a  close  and  deadly  fire  that  they  turned  and 
fled. 

The  story  of  the  slow  drifting  and  marching  of 
the  expedition  down  the  Livingstone  is  a  very 
monotonous  one  to  read,  but  was  full  of  the  deep- 
est interest  to  the  travelers,  for  the  forest  on  either 
side  of  the  great  river  seemed  filled  with  horns  and 
war-drums,  while  out  from  a  creek  or  from  behind 
an  island  canoes  would  dart  and  threaten  an  attack. 
Floating  peacefully  through  those  primeval  forests 
on  this  stately  river,  bearing  them  ever  on  to  the  un- 
known, would  make  the  heart  heave  with  emotion, 
but  when  danger  and  death  were  ever  present,  the 
intensest  feelings  were  aroused. 

At  length  they  came  to  a  series  of  villages  lining 
the  bank  and  surrounded  with  plenty.    There  was 


A  STRATAGEM. 


385 


a  large  population,  and  the  natives,  at  the  approach 
of  Stanley,  blew  their  ivory  horns  and  beat  their  ^ 
drums,  and  soon  a  whole  fleet  of  canoes,  heavily 
manned,  attacked  the  little  party  in  the  boat.  By 
a  bold  dash  Stanley  was  able  to  seize  and  occupy 
the  lower  village,  where  he  quickly  intrenched  him- 
self. The  savages  came  down  in  immense  num^ 
bers,  filling  the  air  with  hideous  shouts  and  rushed 
on  the  slender  defenses  with  desperate  fury.  It 
was  astonishing  to  see  these  men,  to  whom  fire- 
arms were  new,  show  so  little  fear  of  them.  They 
were  the  boldest  fighters  Stanley  had  as  yet  en- 
countered in  Africa,  and  though  he  punished  them 
severely  they  kept  up  the  attack,  with  short  inter- 
vals between,  for  nearly  two  days.  At  last  the  ap- 
pearance of  Tipo-tipo  alongthe  bank  with  the  land 
forces  made  them  beat  a  retreat,  which  they  did 
with  a  tremendous  noise  of  horns  and  loud  threats 
of  vengeance.  Out  of  the  few  with  Stanley,  four 
were  killed  and  thirteen  wounded,  or  seventeen 
out  of  forty — nearly  half  of  the  whole  force.  This 
showed  desperate  fighting,  and  as  the  enemy  ad- 
vanced by  hundreds  their  loss  must  have  been 
fearful. 

Stanley,  who  was  equal  in  stratagem  to  an 
American  Indian,  played  them  a  trick  that  night 
which  took  all  their  bravado  out  of  them.  Wait- 
ing till  he  thought  they  were  asleep,  he  took  the 
Lady  Alice,  and  Frank  Pocoke  a  canoe,  and  both 
with  muffled  oars,  rowed  up  the  river  to  find  their 

25 


386 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


camp.  It  was  a  rainy,  dark  and  windy  night,  and, 
*  hence,  favorable  to  the  enterprise  he  had  in  hand, 
and  his  movements  were  undiscovered.  By  the 
light  of  a  fire  on  the  bank  he  ascertained  the  loca- 
tion of  the  camp,  and  advancing  cautiously  saw 
some  forty  canoes  drawn  up  on  shore.  Bidding 
Frank  go  down  stream  and  lie  to,  to  catch  them 
as  they  floated  down,  he  quietly  cut  them  all  adrift. 
They  were  caught  by  the  former,  and  by  midnight 
were  at  Stanley's  camp.  He  knew  that  he  now 
had  them  in  his  power,  and  so  in  the  morning  pro- 
ceeded to  their  camp  and  made  offers  of  peace, 
which  they  were  glad  to  accept  on  the  condition 
that  their  canoes  were  returned  to  them.  This 
was  agreed  to  and  blood-brotherhood  made.  Stan- 
ley, however,  whose  great  need  had  been  canoes, 
determined  not  to  let  all  these  slip  through  his 
hands,  and  retained  twenty-three,  giving  back  only 
fifteen. 

Tipo-tipo  now  told  Stanley  that  he  would  pro- 
ceed no  further,  his  people  were  dying  rapidly,  the 
difficulties  of  .marching  were  increasing  and  he 
must  return.  The  latter  saw  he  was  determined  to 
go,  although  eight  marches  remained  to  be  made, 
and  released  him.  In  truth,  now  he  had  boats 
enough  to  carry  his  entire  expedition,  Tipo-tipo, 
cumbered  with  the  sick,  would  be  a  burden  rather 
than  a  help,  and  at  the  rate  they  were  moving, 
eight  marches,  more  or  less,  would  not  amount  to 
much.     Besides,  marching  by  land,  Stanley  saw 


DEPARTURE  OF  TIP O- TIP O, 


387 


must  be  given  up  or  they  would  never  get  to  the 
sea.  Thus  far  they  had  scarcely  made  any  west- 
ing at  all,  having  gone  almost  due  north,  and 
were  nearly  as  far  from  the  Atlantic  Ocean  as 
when  they  left  Nyangwe.  The  only  thing  he 
feared  was  the  effect  the  departure  of  the  escort 
would  have  on  his  men.  In  announcing  to  them 
that  on  the  sixth  day  they  should  start  down  the 
river,  he  made  them  quite  a  speech,  in  which  he 
asked  them  if  he  had  not  always  taken  good  care 
of  them  and  fulfilled  all  his  promises,  and  said 
that  if  they  would  trust  him  implicitly  he  would 
surely  bring  them  out  to  the  ocean  and  see  them 
safe  back  to  Zanzibar.  "As  a  father  looks  after 
his  children,"  he  said,  **so  will  I  look  after  you." 
A  shout  greeted  him  at  the  close.  One  of  his 
chiefs  followed  in  an  address  to  the  Arabs,  while 
Uledi,  the  coxswain,  spoke  for  the  boatmen  in  a 
very  satisfactory  strain. 

Preparations  for. starting  were  now  set  on  foot, 
canoes  were  mended,  provisions  gathered  and 
everything  that  could  be  thought  of  provided 
against  future  contingencies.  Christmas  day  came, 
and  the  poor  fugitives  had  quite  a  frolic  there  in 
the  wilderness.  The  twenty-three  boats  they  had 
captured  were  christened  by  the  men,  amid  much 
merriment,  and  then  canoe  races  followed,  rowed 
by  both  men  and  women ;  all  wound  up  with  a 
wild  war-dance  on  the  banks  of  the  river. 

The  next  day  Tipo-tipo  gave  a  grand  dinner. 


388  ^^  ^^^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 

The  day  after,  the  camps  separated,  and  all  inter, 
course  between  them  ceased. 

On  the  morning  of  the  28th,  Stanley  embarked 
his  men  to  the  sound  of  drum  and  trumpet,  and 
Tipo-tipo  hearing  it  in  his  camp,  knew  that  the 
parting  hour  had  come,  and  paraded  his  men  on 
the  bank.  As  the  expedition  slowly  floated  down 
the  stream  toward  it,  there  was  heard  a  deep, 
plaintive  chant  from  the  Arabs  on  the  bank,  as  a 
hundred  melodious  voices  arose  in  a  farewell  song; 
out  from  the  dim  forest,  and  over  the  rippling 
water  it  floated,  in  sweet  melancholy  strains,  that 
touched  every  heart  in  that  slowly-moving  fleet  of 
canoes.  Louder  and  louder  swelled  the  chant, 
increasing  in  volume  and  pathos,  as  the  wanderers 
drew  nearer.  As  they  approached  the  Arab  camp 
they  saw  the  singers  ranged  in  a  row  along  the 
bank.  Passing  slowly  by  them,  they  waved  a  silent 
adieu,  for  their  hearts  were  too  full  to  speak.  On 
they  floated,  and  still  the  chant  went  on,  until, 
at  last,  it  died  away  in  the  distance,  and  sadness 
and  silence  rested  on  the  stream.  No  one  spoke 
a  word,  and  Stanley  cast  his  own  eyes,  not  wholly 
dry,  over  the  crowded  boats,  and  was  moved  with 
the  deepest  pity.  Nearly  all  were  sitting  with 
their  faces  hidden  in  their  hands  and  sobbing. 
Those  they  were  leaving  behind  were  about  to  re- 
turn to  their  homes — they  to  enter  new  dangers, 
out  of  which  they  might  never  emerge.  No 
wonder  they  were  sad,  and  it  is  singular  that  not 


A  MOURNFUL  SCENE. 


389 


a  man,  even  of  those  who  had  before  deserted, 
asked  permission  to  go  back.  It  was  a  mournful 
scene  there  in  the  wilds  of  Africa,  and  on  that 
mysterious  river,  and  Stanley  said  it  was  the  sad- 
dest day  in  his  whole  life. 

The  casting  of  their  fortunes  in  this  desperate 
venture  of  his,  shows  what  wonderful  influence  he 
had  acquired  over  them,  and  with  what  devotion 
he  had  inspired  them.  No  wonder  his  heart  clung 
to  them  to  the  last,  and  he  would  never  leave 
them,  until  he  saw  them  safe  again  in  their  homes. 
In  order  to  rouse  the  men,  he  shouted,  ''Sons  of 
Zanzibar,  lift  up  your  heads  and  be  men.  What 
is  there  to  fear?  Here  we  are  all  together,  like 
one  family,  with  hearts  united,  all  strong  with  the 
purpose  to  reach  our  home.  See  this  river,  it  is 
the  road  to  Zanzibar.  When  saw  you  a  road  so 
wide?  Strike  your  paddles  deep,  and  cry  out 
*  Bismillah,'  and  let  us  forward.'*  No  shout  greeted 
this  appeal,  as  with  sickly  smiles  they  paddled 
downward.  Uledi  tried  to  sing^  but  it  was  such  a 
miserable  failure  that  his  sad  companions  could 
not  restrain  a  smile. 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

DESCENT   OF   THE    CONGO. 

STANLEY  was  now  like  Cortez  when  he 
burned  his  ships  behind  him — there  was  no 
returning — one  and  all  must  move  on  to- 
gether to  a  common  fate.  All  danger  of  deser- 
tion, for  the  present,  was  over,  and  he  felt  that  the 
consciousness  of  there  being  no  possible  escape, 
and  that  one  destiny  awaited  them  all,  not  only 
bound  them  closer  together,  but  would  make  them 
better  fighters. 

At  first,  on  their  downward  march,  they  met  a 
peaceful  tribe,  and  then  a  hostile  one  which  would 
listen  to  no  terms,  and  whose  reply  to  every  re- 
quest for  peace  was,  *' We  don't  want  you ;  we  will 
eat  you."  They,  however,  passed  by  unmolested, 
and  swept  down  the  river,  astonished  to  see  its  banks 
so  thickly  populated.  That  night  they  encamped 
in  a  dense  jungle,  which  was  found  to  be  the 
home  of  the  hippopotamus  in  the  dry  season. 
Tipo-tipo  had  left  with  Stanley  two  cannibals  that 
he  had  captured,  to  be  used  by  him  in  conciliat- 
ing the  savages,  as  they  knew  their  language. 
These  tried  their  arts  this  night  on  the  natives  on 
the  farther  bank,  who,  no  sooner  espied  the 
strangers,  than   they  beat  their   drums  and  ad- 

(390) 


BESE T  BY  CANNIBALS,  ^g j 

vanced  to  attack  them.  The  cannibals  talked  so 
eloquently  and  plausibly  to  them,  that  the  savages 
withdrew  and  left  them  in  peace.  The  next 
morning  they  came  to  the  mouth  of  a  large  river 
named  Lowwa,  one  thousand  yards  wide,  and 
seemingly  quite  deep. 

On  the  last  day  of  the  year,  they  were  moving 
quietly  down  stream — the  heavens  bright  above 
them  and  the  banks  green  beside  them — when 
they  suddenly  heard  the  hated  war-drum  sound; 
and  soon  the  canoes  of  the  natives  shot  out  from 
both  shores,  and  for  a  moment  a  collision  sermed 
inevitable;  but  the  two  cannibals  shouted  Sennen- 
nek/  "peace/'  so  plaintively,  that  they  de'^isted 
and  the  little  fleet  passed  on  unmolested.  But 
the  next  day  they  met  other  boats  which  advanced^ 
their  crews  shouting  "we  will  eat  you,"  but  they 
were  easily  driven  off.  It  produced  a  novel  sen- 
sation in  Stanley  to  be  hailed  every  day  and 
ordered  to  give  himself  up  for  a  good  roast.  At 
length  they  came  to  a  peaceful  tribe,  from  a\  h®m 
they  obtained  provisions. 

Gathering  such  information  as  they  could  from 
the  natives,  they  now  continued  on  very  quietly, 
when  they  were  suddenly  attacked  by  savages  in 
canoes  of  immense  size.  One,  eighty-five  feet 
long,  singled  out  the  Lady  Alice  and  made  for  it. 
The  crew  of  the  latter  waited  till  it  came  within 
fifty  feet,  and  then,  pouring  in  a  deadly  volley, 
made  a  dash  to   run   it  down.     The   frightened 


392 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


crew,  just  before  the  collision,  jumped  overboard, 
leaving  the  big  boat  in  the  hands  of  Stanley. 

Keeping  on,  after  this  little  fight,  they  passed 
small  tributaries,  and  at  length  heard  the  roar  of 
a  cataract  below.  But  while  they  were  listening 
to  the  unwelcome  sound,  there  suddenly  rose  over 
it  the  wild,  shrill  war-cries  of  the  savages  from 
both  sides  of  the  river.  There  was  no  escape  for 
the  expedition  now — they  must  turn  and  fight. 
Dropping  their  stone  anchors  near  the  bank,  they 
poured  in  their  volleys,  but,  not  being  able  to  dis- 
lodge this  new  foe,  they  pulled  up  their  anchors 
and  rowed  up  stream  where  Stanley  divided  his 
forces,  and  while  one  attracted  the  attention  of  the 
enemy  in  front,  the  other  landed,  and  marching 
across  the  land,  took  them  in  the  rear.  As  soon 
as  Stanley  heard  the  first  shot  announcing  its  ar- 
rival, he  landed  and  attacked  the  enemy  in  front 
and  routed  them,  and  camped  for  the  night  un- 
disturbed. 

Next  morning,  however,  the  natives  appeared 
again  in  strong  numbers  and  attacked  the  camp. 
The  fight  was  kept  up  for  two  hours,  when  a  sally 
was  ordered,  and  they  charged  on  the  enemy, 
who,  though  giving  way,  kept  up  the  fight  for  four 
or  five  hours  more.  Two  of  Stanley's  men  were 
killed  and  ten  wounded.  The  former  were  thrown 
into  the  river,  for  Stanley  had  determined  to  bury 
no  more  men  till  out  of  the  cannibal  country. 
This  defeat  of  the  natives  gave  the  expedition  a 


BEAUTIFUL  SCENERY.  ^g^ 

few  days'  rest,  so  that  this  first  of  the  series  of 
•'  Stanley  falls, ''  as  they  were  named,  could  be 
thoroughly  explored,  not  only  for  geographical 
purposes,  but  to  ascertain  the  best  way  of  getting 
around  them.  He  found  that  the  falls  could  not 
be  run,  and  that  a  carry  around  them  some  two 
miles  long  must  be  made.  A  path  was  cleared 
with  axes,  and  boat  and  canoes  were  taken  from 
the  water  and  carried  with  great  labor,  yet  safely, 
overland,  and  launched  once  more  on  the  stream 
without  accident,  and  anchored  in  a  creek  near 
Its  entrance  into  the  main  river.  Not  wishing  to 
remain  here,  the  order  to  advance  was  given,  and 
soon  they  were  again  afloat  on  the  great  river. 
Sweeping  downward  they  heard  the  roar  of  another 
cataract,  and,  although  the  war-horns  were  resound- 
ing on  every  side,  they  encamped  on  an  island  in 
the  middle  of  the  river.  The  hostile  natives  on 
the  island,  filled  with  terror,  escaped  to  the  main- 
land. In  the  morning  Stanley  explored  the  island, 
and  found  it  contained  five  villages,  all  now  de- 
serted, and  in  them  was  such  a  variety  of  imple- 
ments as  showed  that  the  inhabitants  were  adepts 
in  the  rrianufacture  of  all  kinds  of  iron  tools. 

The  river  was  full  of  islands,  winding  among 
which,  day  after  day,  Stanley  often  found  to  bethe 
only  means  of  escape  from  the  pertinacious  canni- 
bals. These  islands  presented  a  beautiful  appear- 
ance with  their  luxuriant  foliage,  but  while  the  eye 
was  resting  on  loveliness,  the  ear  would  be  saluted 


394 


IN  THE   WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 


with  the  sound  of  war-drums  and  hideous  shouts. 
Whenever  Stanley  landed  and  visited  a  village 
from  which  the  inhabitants  had  fled,  he  would  see 
human  bones  scattered  around,  flung  aside  like 
oyster-shells,  after  the  meat  was  removed,  and  at 
times  the  whole  expedition  felt  as  if  they  were  des- 
tined to  make  a  grand  luncheon  for  these  ferocious 
man-eaters. 

The  next  day  Stanley  began  to  make  prepara- 
tions to  get  around  the  falls.     The  first  thing  was 
to  clear  himself  of  the  savages  that  crowded  the 
left  bank  and  were  ready  to  pounce  on  him  any 
moment.     So  taking  thirty-six  men  he  led  them 
through  the  bushes  and  drove  the  natives  back  to 
their  villages,  a  mile  distant,  and  after  a  desperate 
struggle  he  drove  them  out  of  these.     He  next 
cut  a  narrow  path,  three  miles  long,  around  the 
cataract.     This  was  slow  work,  and  as  haste  was 
imperative  the  men  were  kept  at  work  all  night, 
flaming  torches  lighting  up  the  way  and  making 
the  gloomy  shadows  of  the  strange  forest  deeper 
still.     Camps  were  distributed  at  short  intervals 
along  the  route,  and  to  the  first  of  these  the  canoes 
were  carried  before  daylight.     The  savages  made 
a  rush  on  them  but  were  driven  back.     At  night 
another  stretch  of  path  was  made,  to  which  the 
canoes  and  baggage  were  hurried  before  the  can- 
r^ibals  were  astir  in  the  morning.     There  was  less 
hostility  and  the  work  went  steadily  on,  and  at  last, 
;^fter  seventy-eight  hours  of  unceasing  labor  and 


ZAIDI  IN  PERIL. 


397 


almost  constant  fighting  the  river  was  again  reached 
and  the  boats  launched. 

This  was  accompHshed  on  January  14th,  but 
though  the  river  had  been  reached,  new  perils 
awaited  them.  There  was  a  stretch  of  two  miles 
of  rapids  that  must  be  passed.  After  six  canoes 
had  been  passed  safely,  one  was  upset,  and  one 
of  those  in  it,  Zaidi,  instead  of  swimming  ashore, 
as  the  others  did,  clung  to  it  and  was  borne  help- 
lessly down  to  the  cataract  below.  But  on  the 
very  verge  was  a  solitary  rock  on  which  the  boat 
drifted  and  split — one  part  jamming  fast.  To 
this  the  poor  wretch  clung  with  the  strength  of 
despair,  while  all  around  leaped  and  whirled  and 
roared  the  boiling  water.  Those  on  shore  shrieked 
in  agony,  and  Stanley  was  hastily  sent  for.  He 
immediately  set  to  work  making  a  rattan  rope,  in 
order  to  let  down  a  boat  to  him  by  which  he  could 
be  pulled  ashore.  But  the  rope  was  not  strong 
enough,  and  snapped  asunder  as  soon  as  the  boat 
reached  the  heavy  suck  of  water  just  above  the 
falls,  and  it  was  whirled  into  the  vortex  below. 
Other  and  stronger  ropes  were  then  made  and 
another  canoe  brought  up  and  three  ropes  lashed 
to  it.  A  couple  of  men  would  be  needed  to  pad- 
dle and  steer  the  boat  so  that  it  could  reach  the 
unfortunate  wretch  on  his  perilous  perch,  and 
volunteers  were  called  for.  But  one  glance  at 
the  wild  and  angry  waves  was  enough,  and  no  one 
responded.     Stanley  then  appealed  to  their  feel- 


598 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


ings,  when  the  brave  Uledi  stepped  forward  and 
said  ''I  will  go."  Others  of  the  crew,  followed, 
but  only  one  was  needed.  The  two  stepped  calmly 
into  the  boat  and  pushed  off — watched  with  intense 
anxiety  by  those  on  shore.  Reaching  a  certain 
distance  above  the  falls,  it  drifted  rapidly  down 
toward  them,  guided  by  those  holding  two  of  the 
cables  on  shore.  The  third  floated  from  the  stern 
of  the  boat  for  the  poor  wretch  on  the  rock  to 
seize.  Attempt  after  attempt  was  made  to  get 
this  within  Zaidi's  reach,  but  the  whirling  waters 
flung  it  about  like  a  whip-lash.  At  length  the 
boat  was  lowered  so  close  to  the  brink  of  the  falls 
that  he  was  able  to  reach  it,  but  no  sooner  had  he 
seized  it  and  flung  himself  loose,  than  he  was 
borne  over  the  edge  and  disappeared  below. 
But  he  held  on  to  the  rope  and  soon  his  head 
appeared  above  the  boiling  waves,  when  the  word 
was  given  to  haul  away.  The  strain,  however, 
was  too  great,  and  the  cables  parted  and  away 
dashed  the  canoe  toward  certain  destruction,  and 
a  cry  of  horror  arose  from  those  on  shore,  for  all 
three  now  seemed  inevitably  lost.  But  Zaidi 
below,  by  hanging  on  to  the  rope,  pulled  the  boat 
against  the  rock  where  it  lay  wedged.  He  was 
then  pulled  up,  and  the  three  crouched  together 
on  the  rock.  A  stone  was  now  tied  to  about 
three  hundred  feet  of  whip-cord  and  flung  to 
them,  but  they  failed  to  catch  it.  Again  and 
again  was   it  thrown   only  to  be  pulled  in  and 


STANLEY  AS  A  STRATEGIST. 


-JCo 


recast,  but  at  last  it  whirled  so  close  to  them  that 
they  caught  it.  A  heavy  rope  of  rattan  was  then 
tied  to  it  and  drawn  across  and  fastened,  and  a 
bridge  thus  secured. 

But  this  had  taken  so  much  time  that  night 
came  on  before  the  work  could  be  finished;  the 
three  wretched  men  were  left  therefore,  to  crouch 
on  the  rock,  and  wait  for  the  morning.  All  night 
long  they  held  on  to  their  wild  perch,  while  the 
water  rushed,  and  boiled,  and  roared  around  them, 
and  the  deep  thunder  of  the  cataract  rose  in  one 
deep  monotone  over  all,  so  that  they  could  not 
hear  each  other  speak. 

The  next  morning,  early,  the  Arabs  were  set  to 
work  making  more  ropes,  which  were  finally 
hauled  across,  and  fastened  round  the  waist  of 
each  man,  and  then,  one  by  one,  they  leaped  into 
the  water  and  were  drawn  safely  ashore,  amid 
the  joyous  shouts  of  the  people. 

They  now  set  to  work  cutting  a  road  three  miles 
long  through  the  woods.  Over  this  the  canoes 
were  hauled  with  great  labor  before  the  savages 
on  the  farther  side  knew  what  was  going  on.  But 
the  moment  the  canoes  were  afloat,  the  foe  dis- 
covered them,  and  rushing  forward  with  their 
canoes  the  battle  commenced.  Stanley  dashed 
through  them,  and  sweeping  down  stream  for  a 
mile,  landed  on  the  island  where  the  tribe  lived, 
and  quietly  detaching  twenty  men,  sent  them  to 
the  villages,  while  he  kept  the  savages  at  bay. 


400  ^^  '^^^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

In  a  short  time,  the  detachment  returned,  .bring 
ing  with  them  a  crowd  of  women  and  children  as 
prisoners,  and  a  large  herd  of  sheep.  The  sav- 
ages, when  they  saw  these  marching  down  to  the 
landing-place,  were  taken  so  completely  aback, 
that  they  stopped  fighting  at  once,  and  withdrew 
to  consult  what  was  best  to  do  in  this  extraordi- 
nary turn  of  affairs.  They  sat  in  their  canoes, 
waiting  to  see  their  friends  massacred.  Negotia- 
tions for  peace  were  soon  opened  and  concluded, 
and  the  ceremony  of  blood-brotherhood  was  gone 
through  with,  the  captives  and  herds  were  then 
surrendered  up  and  friendly  terms  were  estab- 
lished. 

The  fifth  cataract  was  at  the  foot  of  this  island  and 
was  safely  passed,  and  the  expedition  encamped  on 
the  bank  of  the  river,  on  a  green  plat  of  ground,  and 
slept  undisturbed.  In  the  morning,  to  their  un- 
bounded surprise,  they  found  themselves  inclosed 
in  a  net  of  cord,  reaching  from  the  shore  above  the 
camp,  to  the  shore  below  it,  passing  through  the 
bushes.  Stanley  knew  what  this  meant — that 
they  were  to  be  speared,  when  they  approached  it, 
like  so  many  wild  beasts.  He  at  once  ordered 
one  of  the  chiefs,  Manwa  Sera,  to  take  thirty  men 
and  row  up  the  river  a  short  distance  and  land, 
thence  to  march  inland,  and  come  up  behind  those 
lying  in  wait  outside  of  the  net.  At  the  end  of 
an  hour  he  ordered  men  forward  to  cut  the  nets, 
when  the  firing  commenced.     The  savages  soon 


SEEKING  MAN-MEAT. 


401 


turned  and  fled,  but  to  their  astonishment,  met  the 
enemy  advancing  on  them  by  the  road  leading 
from  their  villages,  at  which  discovery  they  fled  in 
every  direction.  Eight  prisoners  were,  however, 
cajptured  and  brought  into  camp.  On  being 
questioned,  they  confessed  that  they  were  after 
man-meat  and  said  that  their  tribe,  which  lived 
about  a  day's  journey  inland,  ate  old  men  and 
women  and  every  stranger  that  fell  into  their 
hands. 

They  now  kept  down  the  river  for  several  miles 
unmolested,  until  they  heard  the  sullen  roar  of 
the  sixth  cataract  rising  over  the  woods,  when 
they  camped  on  the  right  bank,  near  an  island 
covered  with  villages.  Stanley  knew  what  was 
before  him  here,  and  ordered  a  stockade  to  be 
commenced  immediately.  But,  before  this  was 
finished,  the  everlasting  drum  and  horn  pealed 
through  the  woods  and  soon  the  savages  were 
upon  them.  After  a  short  fight,  they  retreated, 
followed  by  Stanley's  soldiers  to  a  large  village, 
but  there  were  only  three  or  four  old  women  it  it, 
who  were  brought  into  camp.  In  a  short  time  a 
heavier  force  approached  and  made  a  furious  at- 
tack, but  it  was  quickly  driven  back  and  two 
wounded  men  were  taken  prisoners.  A  part  of 
Stanley's  force  was  all  this  time  cutting  a  path 
around  the  cataract.  The  next  morning  they  set  to 
work  with  a  will  and  by  noon  passed  it  safely.  Stan- 
ley having  wormed  out  of  his  captives  all  the  in- 
26 


.Q2  ^^  '^^^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

formation  he  could  of  the  surrounding  country 
and  the  various  tribes  that  inhabited  it,  set  them 
free.  Passing  some  rapids,  they  came  to  a  village 
in  which  there  was  but  a  single  old  man,  solitary 
and  alone,  who  had  been  there  for  several  days. 
The  next  day  they  halted  to  repair  the  boats. 
The  persistent  course  of  the  river,  till  within  the 
last  few  days  to  the  north,  and  sometimes  north- 
east, had  troubled  Stanley,  and  but  for  the  im- 
mense volume  of  water  that  he  knew  had  no 
eastern  outlet,  would  have  shaken  his  faith  in  its 
being  the  Congo.  But,  since  he  passed  the  last 
cataract  he  had  noticed  that  it  gradually  deflected 
to  the  northwest,  and  now  swept  by  almost  due 
west,  having  evidently  at  last  started  on  its  journey 
for  the  sea.  Long  islands  still  divided  the  river, 
making,  most  of  the  time,  two  streams  and  shut- 
ting out  the  opposite  banks.  Keeping  down  the 
right  channel,  they  passed  through  enchanting 
scenery,  undisturbed  by  war-drums  and  savage 
shouts.  Though  the  water  was  smooth  on  their 
side,  over  the  island,  on  the  other,  they  could  hear 
the  roar  of  rapids,  and  a  few  miles  farther  down 
the  loud  roar  of  the  seventh  and  last  cataract  of 
the  "Stanley  Falls"  burst  on  their  ears,  filling  the 
solitude  with  its  loud  thunder.  The  river  here 
was  over  a  mile  wide,  and  the  fall  of  such  an  im- 
mense body  of  water  over  a  high  ledge  made  the 
earth  tremble. 

It  was  one  incessant  fight,  either  with  the  sav- 


BATTLING  ONWARD.  403 

ages  or  with  nature,  and  it  seemed  as  if  fate  de- 
termined to  wear  out  these  indomitable  men. 
Soon  the  loud  war-drums,  and  horns,  and  battle- 
shouts  were  mingled  with  the  roar  of  the  cataract, 
showing  that  here,  too,  they  must  fight  before  they 
could  get  below  it.  Dropping  down  as  near  as  it 
was  safe  to  the  commencement  of  the  rapids,  they 
pulled  ashore  and  pitched  their  camp  in  a  dense 
forest.  Fearful  of  being  attacked  before  they 
could  intrench,  they  immediately  set  to  work  with 
their  axes  to  throw  together  a  brushwood  fence, 
while  thirty  soldiers  were  stationed  in  front  toward 
the  river,  to  repel  assault.  They  had  hardly  com- 
pleted it  before  the  naked  cannibals  were  upon 
them  with  a  fury  that  threatened  to  break  through 
their  defenses.  All  this  time  out  from  the  woods, 
adown  the  gorge  through  which  the  river  plunged, 
war-drums  and  horns  were  heard  summoning  the 
thickly-scattered  villages  to  the  scene  of  combat. 
Before  the  steady  fire  of  the  musketeers  the  sav- 
ages suffered  so  severely  that  at  sunset  they 
abandoned  the  attack  and  withdrew.  Stanley  now 
secured  his  boats  and  strengthened  the  brushwood 
fence,  and  laid  his  plans  for  the  morning. 

The  camp  was  roused  at  five  o'clock,  and  they 
pushed  on  to  a  point  nearer  the  falls,  so  that  the 
work  of  carrying  around  them  was  completed  be- 
fore the  Wangas  opened  battle.  Everything  be- 
ing made  secure,  they  waited  for  the  expected 
attack  to  begin,  but,  no  enemy  appearing,  Stanley 


404 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


sent  out  scouts  to  ascertain  what  they  were  about 
They  brought  back  word  that  no  savages  were  to 
be  seen.  On  advancing  to  the  villages,  Stanley 
found  to  his  astonishment  that  they  were  all  de- 
serted. Why,  or  whither  they  had  fled  was  a 
profound  mystery.  Here  was  a  town  or  cluster 
of  villages,  each  with  four  or  five  streets  running 
through  it,  and  capable  of  containing  two  thous- 
and inhabitants,  deserted  in  a  single  night.  The 
silence  of  death  reigned  over  it. 

Left  thus  at  peace,  he  began  to  turn  his  atten- 
tion to  the  falls.  He  found  the  river  here  in  this 
terrific  gorge  was  contracted  to  less  than  one- 
third  of  its  breadth  a  short  distance  above,  and 
hence  flowed  with  a  power  and  strength  that  can 
hardly  be  conceived.  Crowded  together,  the 
waters  struggled  and  leaped,  and  tore  onward  - 
with  a  wildness  and  fury  like  the  Niagara  River 
below  the  falls.  He  here  found  baskets  tied  to 
long  poles  set  to  catch  fish.  They  emptied  some 
of  these  and  found  about  thirty  fish,  of  a  different 
species  from  any  known  in  our  waters.  These 
fish-baskets  showed  that  they  were  now  among 
savages  that  did  not  depend  wholly  on  human 
flesh  for  subsistence.  The  villages,  houses,  and 
various  implements  and  articles  of  household 
furniture  were  far  in  advance  of  those  among  the 
cannibals  above  them.  At  the  same  time  the 
people  here  seemed  more  alert,  fearless  and  de- 
termined. 


PORTUGUESE  MUSKETS.  .q. 

The  carry  around  these  falls  was  not  interrupted, 
and  the  Immense  labor  of  transporting  so  many 
boats  and  so  much  baggage  along  a  rough-cut 
path  was  cheerfully  performed.     The   next  day, 
however,  while  congratulating  themselves  on  the 
changed   condition    of  things,  they  saw  a   large 
number  of  canoes  approaching,  and  soon  a  musket- 
shot  rang  over  the  water,  and  one  of  Stanley's 
men  fell.     A  new  peril   now  threatened  them — 
they   found  the   natives  armed  with   Portuguese 
muskets.     Though  it  was  a  sure  sign  that  they 
were  approaching  the  coast,  it  showed  also  that 
hereafter  it  was   to  be  fire-arms  against  fire-arms, 
not  rifles  against  spears  and  arrows ;  and   if  the 
natives  continued  hostile,  the  destruction  of  the 
expedition  seemed  certain  with  such  odds  against 
it.     Heretofore,  in  every  combat  the  men  picked 
up  a  number  of  native  shields,  almost  as  big  as 
doors,  which  they  preserved.     In  battle,  the  women 
and  children  would  hold  these  before  the  soldiers, 
which  was  the  chief  reason  why  there  had  been  so 
few  casualties  when  fighting  from  the  boats ;  but 
if  bullets  hereafter  were  to  be  fired,  these  would 
be  of  no  use.     Still  there  was  nothing  left  but  to 
fight  to  the  last. 

This  changed  condition  of  things  caused  Stan- 
ley the  greatest  anxiety.  He,  however,  formed 
his  boats  in  line  of  battle  and  the  firing  com- 
menced— the  natives  after  every  discharge  retiring 
to  reload.     Stanley's  soldiers  fired  so  rapidly,  and 


4o6 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


with  such  deadly  effect,  that  after  an  hour  had 
past  the  natives  withdrew,  and  the  expedition 
moved  off  and  was  soon  lost  to  sight  amid  the  in- 
numerable islands  that  studded  the  river,  and  each 
of  which  was  loaded  with  the  most  luxuriant  veg- 
etation. 

The  next  day  they  floated  down  the  river  un- 
disturbed, the  islands  growing  more  numerous  as 
it  expanded,  until  now  it  had  become  several  miles 
wide.  On  one  island  they  saw  an  immense  ele- 
phant standing  amid  the  trees,  but  no  one  pro- 
posed to  stop  and  kill  him,  though  his  huge  tusks 
were  a  tempting  sight ;  there  was  too  much  at 
stake  to  think  of  hunting  the  great  crocodiles  and 
hippopotami  and  other  amphibious  monsters,  who 
made  the  channels  around  these  islands  their 
home. 

The  next  day,  the  13th  of  February,  they  sud- 
denly came  upon  a  large  number  of  villages. 
They  were  hidden  from  view,  till  the  boats  were  so 
close  upon  them  that  it  was  too  late  to  retreat. 
The  next  minute  the  forest  resounded  with  the 
loud  war-drums  and  ivory  horns,  while  the  fierce 
war-cries  had  changed  their  character  and  sounded 
like  nothing  human  Stanley  had  ever  heard. 
Bright  gun-barrels  gleamed  above  the  light,  grace- 
ful boats  as  they  came  swiftly  on.  But  as  they 
drew  near  the  natives  seemed  to  be  filled  with 
such  strange  wonder  at  the  novel  spectacle  of  two 
white  men,  that  they  did  not  fire,  but  sat  and  st9.red 


CHASED  AGAIN,  .^k 

at  them  as  if  they  had  been  ghosts.  They  fol- 
lowed for  five  miles  in  dead  silence,  when  one  of 
them  fired  and  killed  an  Arab.  In  an  instant,  the 
boats  wheeled  and  opened  such  a  rapid  fusillade 
that  the  savages  retreated.  But,  when  Stanley 
again  resumed  his  downward  course  they  turned 
and  followed  again,  hovering  like  hawks  around 
him  for  five  miles,  but  making  no  attack. . 

They  were  now  just  above  the  equator,  and 
were  moving  south-west.  The  next  morning  the 
islands  were  so  thick  that  they  shut  out  both  banks, 
but  keeping  on  down  stream  they  at  length  came 
upon  a  village,  and  attempted  to  pass  it  unob- 
served, but  the  tap  of  a  drum  showed  that  they 
were  observed,  and  their  hearts  sank  within  them 
at  the  prospect  of  another  fight.  In  a  few  minutes 
drum  was  answering  drum  in  every  direction,  and 
soon  the  savages  were  seen  manning  their  canoes. 
Stanley,  seeing  his  men  were  worn  down  by  this 
incessant  fighting,  made  them  a  short  speech,  tell- 
ing them  if  they  must  die  it  should  be  with  their 
guns  in  their  hands.  He  had  come  to  have  great 
contempt  for  the  natives  on  the  water  so  long  as 
they  were  without  fire-arms.  He  could  soon  scat- 
ter them  and  keep  them  at  a  respectful  distance 
with  his  rifles,  but  when  it  should  be  five  hundred 
muskets  against  his  forty  guns,  the  whole  charac- 
ter of  the  struggle  would  be  changed. 

As  they  quietly  floated  down,  canoe  after  canoe 
filled  with  gayly-decorated  savages  shot  out  into 


4o8 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


the  river,  till  an  immense  fleet  of  them  was  in 
pursuit.  Stanley  ordered  his  men  to  cease  pad- 
dling and  wait  their  approach,  determined,  if 
possible,  to  make  peace.  But,  while  he  was 
standing  up  holding  out  cloth  and  wire  and  making 
peaceful  gestures,  the  crew  of  one  canoe  fired 
into  his  boat,  wounding  three  men. 

There  was  nothing  left  now  but  to  fight,  and 
soon  the  crash  of  fire-arms  awoke  the  echoes  of 
the  forest-covered  shores.  The  men  had  raised 
their  shields,  and  to  their  joy  found  them  a  perfect 
protection,  as  the  enemy  fired  bits  of  iron  and 
copper,  that  could  not  penetrate  them  any  more 
than  the  native  arrows.  As  the  fight  went  on 
other  canoes  arrived,  until  Stanley  counted  sixty- 
three  canoes  which  he  estimated  carried  five  guns 
apiece,  which  would  make  three  hundred  and 
fifteen  to  his  forty-four — a  desperate  odds  truly, 
and  if  the  Africans'  guns  had  been  loaded  with 
bullets,  they  would  have  doubtless  then  and  there 
ended  the  expedition.  It  is  a  little  curious  that 
whenever  Stanley  gets  into  a  desperate  strait  that 
even  his  boldness  and  pluck  cannot  help  him  out 
of,  some  unforseen  thing  comes  to  his  aid,  and  he 
escapes. 

In  this  case  his  rifles  had  much  longer  range 
and  greater  penetrating  force  than  the  old-fash- 
ioned muskets,  so  most  of  the  enemy  kept  at  a 
distance  of  a  hundred  yards.  One  brave  fellow, 
however,  kept  dashing  up  to  within  fifty  yards  and 


FAMINE  A  T  HAND. 


411 


firing,  till  he  was  wounded.  It  was  a  lucky  thing 
for  Stanley  that  their  guns  were  poor,  their  car- 
tridges feeble  and  their  aim  bad.  At  length  the 
fire  began  to  slacken,  and  dwindling  down  to  now 
and  then  a  random  shot,  before  six  o'clock  it  ceased 
altogether. 

The  fight  being  over,  the  men  laid  down  their 
guns  and  once  more  took  up  their  paddles  and 
were  soon  out  of  sight  of  their  enemies,  and  at 
sunset  they  camped  on  an  island  that  lay  amid  a 
nest  of  islets. 

The  next  day,  the  15th,  they  continued  their 
journey  and  for  three  days  were  unmolested  and 
allowed  to  enjoy  the  magnificent  scenery  amid 
which  they  floated ;  but  they  had  little  inclination 
to  admire  scenery,  for  they  were  half-starved,  not 
having  been  able  to  purchase  a  particle  of  food 
for  a  week.  On  the  19th  they  came  to  a  great 
river,  the  largest  tributary  they  had  yet  seen, 
pouring  an  enormous  volume  of  black  water  into 
the  Livingstone. 

It  now  began  to  look  as  if,  having  escaped  death 
by  battle  and  the  cataracts,  they  were  about  to 
yield  to  famine.  They  met  fishermen,  but  these 
would  have  nothing  to  do  with  them.  On  the 
19th,  nine  days  since  they  had  been  able  to  pur- 
chase any  provisions,  they  came  to  Ikengo,  where 
to  their  great  joy  they  found  friendly  natives.  The 
next  day  Stanley  held  a  market  on  the  island 
where  he  had  encamped,  to  which  the  neighborinp; 


412 


IN  THE   WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


chiefs  came,  as  well  as  the  villagers.  Trade  was 
brisk  and  before  night  he  had  a  bountiful  supply 
of  sheep,  goats,  bananas,  flour,  sweet  potatoes  and 
various  tropical  fruits,  for  which  he  exchanged 
cloth,  beads  and  wire.  The  men  revelled  in  the 
unexpected  abundance,  and  hope  and  joy  took  the 
place  of  gloom  and  discontent.  The  next  day 
they  resumed  their  apparently  endless  journey, 
and  floated  peacefully  amid  green  islands,  scat- 
tered like  gems  over  the  broad  bosom  of  the  now 
friendly  stream. 

On  the  23d,  while  floating  quietly  down,  word 
was  brought  Stanley  that  the  wife  of  one  of  the 
Arab  chiefs,  who  had  been  sick  for  some  time,  was 
dying,  and  he  pulled  his  boat  alongside  of  the  one 
in  which  she  lay.  She  knew  she  was  going,  and 
bade  him  an  affectionate  good-bye.  Soon  after 
she  expired.  At  sunset  a  weight  was  tied  to  hei 
body,  and  she  was  dropped  into  the  waters  of  the 
river,  and  left  to  sleep  in  this  lonely  bed,  far  away 
from  the  cocoa-nuts  and  mangoes  of  her  native 
land. 

Their  course  now  led  them  among  beautiful 
islets,  made  gay  by  the  rich  plumage  of  tropical 
birds.  Occasionally  they  met  a  few  canoes,  but 
no  hostility  was  exhibited.  On  the  27th,  they  came 
upon  natives  fishing,  who  at  once  showed  them- 
selves to  be  friendly,  and  exhibited  no  distrust  at 
all.  It  was  a  new  revelation  to  the  wanderers. 
Hitherto,  it  was  only  after  the  most  patient  waiting 


HOSPITABLE  ENTERTAINMENT. 


413 


and  persevering  efforts  that  they  could  gain  the 
confidence  of  the  savages,  if,  indeed,  they  secured 
it  at  all.  Here  it  was  freely  given,  and  they  di- 
rected them  to  a  good  camping  place,  on  an  island 
from  whence  they  looked  across  to  the  fields  and 
villages  of  Chumbiri,  where  these  fishermen  be- 
longed. The  fishermen  then  departed,  to  report 
to  their  king,  who  sent  them  back  with  presents 
of  food,  and  a  promise  that  he  would  visit  the  camp. 
True  to  his  word,  he  appeared  next  day,  escorted  by 
five  canoes  filled  with  soldiers,  carrying  muskets. 
He  wore  a  curious  hat,  was  very  cool  and  self- 
possessed  in  his  manner,  and  inclined  to  be  socia- 
ble. He  took  snuff  incessantly,  and  in  enormous 
quantities.  After  a  long  conversation,  he  invited 
them  to  make  his  village  their  home,  and  Stanley, 
wishing  to  learn  all  he  could  of  the  river  below, 
accepted  the  invitation,  and  the  expedition  crossed 
the  river  and  was  received  in  savage  pomp.  A 
grand  market  was  held,  and  exchanges  freely 
made.  The  women  did  not  seem  to  be  of  the  pure 
African  blood,  being  brown  instead  of  black,  with 
large  eyes,  beautifully  shaped  shoulders,  and  alto- 
gether very  pretty.  They  were  fond  of  ornaments, 
some  of  them  wearing  thirty  pounds  of  brass  wire 
around  their  necks.  Stanley  estimated  that  the 
forty  wives,  six  daughters  and  the  female  slaves 
of  the  king  carried  on  their  necks  about  one  thou- 
sand four  hundred  pounds  of  brass  wire. 

He  stayed  here  a  week,  enjoying  the  hospitality 


414  ^^  '^^^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

of  the  king,  who,  in  addition  to  all  his  other  kind- 
nesses,  gave  him  three  canoes,  as  an  escort,  and 
on  the  7th  of  March  he  turned  the  prows  of  his 
boats  again  down  stream.  That  night  they  en- 
camped in  a  jungle,  into  which  two  immense  ser- 
pents crawled,  one  of  which  was  killed  just  as  he 
began  to  twine  his  folds  about  a  woman.  It  meas- 
ured thirteen  feet  and  a  half  in  length,  and  fifteen 
inches  round  the  body.  Having  passed  tributary 
after  tributary,  they  went  ashore  on  the  morning 
of  the  9th  to  cook  breakfast.  The  women  were 
busily  engaged  in  preparing  it,  when  they  were 
startled  by  loud  musket  shots  and  six  of  the  men 
fell.  They  had  been  taken  completely  by  surprise, 
but  springing  to  their  guns,  they  dashed  into  the 
woods  and  a  fierce  fight  followed,  which  lasted  an 
hour.  It  was  one  incessant  crack  of  musketry, 
each  one  sheltering  himself  as  best  he  could.  The 
savages  were  finally  driven  off,  but  not  until  they 
had  wounded  fourteen  of  Stanley's  men.  This 
was  the  sharpest  fight  he  had  yet  had,  and  if  it 
were  a  fair  prelude  to  what  was  to  follow,  the  ex- 
pedition would  soon  consistof  nothing  but  wounded 
men.  It  is  astonishing,  that  in  all  these  fights,  of 
which  this  was  the  thirty-second  and  last,  neither 
Stanley  nor  Pocoke  should  receive  a  wound. 

After  the  wounded  men  had  been  attended  to, 
they  again  set  out  and  floated  peacefully  down,  not 
suspecting  any  danger,  until  they  approached  a 
settlement  which  suddenly  swarmed  with  excited 


"STANLEY  fool:'  a^^ 

armed  men.  Rowing  away  as  fast  as  possible, 
they  soon  got  clear  of  the  village,  and  encamped 
three  miles  below.  The  next  day  the  voyage  was 
charming,  taking  them  through  beautiful  and  ever- 
changing  scenery.  Nothing  occurred  to  mar  their 
pleasure  the  following  day  except  a  fierce  south 
wind,  which  now  began  to  set  in  regularly  every 
day,  making  the  river  exceedingly  rough  for  the 
canoes,  especially  at  this  point,  where  the  river 
expanded  to  nearly  two  miles  in  width.  This  great 
breadth  extended  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach, 
and,  hemmed  in  by  cliffs,  it  resembled  a  pool, 
which  young  Pocoke  christened  "Stanley  Pool." 

Paddling  slowly  down  this  pool,  they  passed 
several  villages.  Makoneh,  the  chief  of  one, 
proved  very  kind  and  hospitable,  and  offered  to 
conduct  Stanley  to  the  next  cataract.  As  they 
swept  down,  they  halted  at  a  friendly  village,  the 
chief  of  which  inquired  how  they  expected  to  get 
over  the  mighty  falls  below.  He  was  a  bluff,  ge- 
nial, good-souled  negro,  who  seemed  glad  to  assist 
them  in  any  way  in  his  power,  and  finally  offered 
to  guide  them  to  the  cataract.  Moving  down, 
soon  its  low  roar  was  heard  swelling  over  the  for- 
est, gradually  increasing  as  they  advanced  till  it 
rose  like  a  continuous  thunder-peal  from  the  soli- 
tude below. 

Makoneh  led  the  way,  and  just  skirting  the  first 
line  of  breakers  he  landed  on  a  pebbly  beach. 
The  village  of  Itsi  was  in  sight,  he  being  the  petty 


4i6 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 


king  of  a  neighboring  tribe.  Some  canoes  soon 
crossed  from  it,  and  were  received  so  kindly  that 
the  natives  went  back  with  such  wonderful  stories 
to  their  king  that  next  day  he  paid  Stanley  a  visit. 
He  came  in  a  large  canoe  carrying  eighty-six  per- 
sons. It  was  over  eighty-five  feet  long,  and  pro- 
pelled by  sixty  paddlers.  These,  standing  up  and 
keeping  time  with  their  strokes  to  the  steady  beat 
of  a  drum,  sent  the  boat  like  an  arrow  through  the 
water  and  made  a  stirring  picture  as  they  dashed 
up  to  Stanley's  camp.  There  were  several  gray- 
headed  men  present,  one  of  whom  was  introduced 
to  Stanley  as  the  king.  The  latter  noticed  that 
the  rest  laughed  heartily  at  this,  which  afterwards 
turned  out  to  be  a  practical  joke.  However, 
Stanley  sat  down  with  the  venerable  person  in  am- 
icable conversation,  while  a  young  native  and 
Frank  seemed  to  strike  up  a  warm  friendship  for 
each  other,  or  at  least  the  native  for  Pocoke,  judg- 
ing by  the  way  he  pressed  presents  on  him. 

It  seemed  strange  to  Stanley  that  the  young 
savage  should  give  twice  as  much  to  Frank  as  the 
king  gave  to  him,  but  it  now  came  out  that  this 
young  man  was  the  king,  and  the  aged  man  Stanley 
had  been  conversing  with  was  merely  one  of  his 
counselors.  Stanley  at  once  changed  his  atten- 
tion, and  asked  him  what  present  would  please 
him.  The  royal  young  savage  had  been  looking 
about  at  the  various  things  in  camp,  and  seeing  a 
.^ery  large  goat,  told  Stanley  that  he  wished  "  big 


BROTHERLY  PROCEEDINGS. 


417 


goat/'  Now  this  happened  to  be  the  last  thing 
the  latter  wished  to  part  with.  A  lady  in  England 
had  requested  him  to  bring  back  a  goat  of  this 
very  breed,  and  he  had  purchased  several,  of  which 
this  alone  had  survived  the  long  and  dangerous 
journey.  He  therefore  endeavored  to  bribe  the 
young  king  by  doubling  the  other  presents  he  had 
prepared.  No,  he  would  have  the  "  big  goat." 
Stanley  then  offered  to  give  him  an  ass  instead. 
At  this  the  savage  seemed  to  hesitate.  The  don- 
key was  very  desirable,  but  at  this  critical  moment 
the  animal  sent  up  a  huge  bray,  which  so  fright- 
ened the  women  that  he  would  not  take  him. 
Other  tempting  offers  were  made  but  nothing 
would  do  but  the  "  big  goat,''  and  as  Stanley  was 
short  of  provisions  (the  men  having  squandered 
those  the  king  of  Chambiri  had  given  them),  and  as 
he  must  have  these,  he  reluctantly  turned  over  the 
big  goat  and  the  young  king  departed  highly  de- 
lighted. The  next  day  he  returned  bringing  three 
ordinary  goats  in  exchange  and  some  provisions. 
Soon  the  kings  or  chiefs  of  other  neighboring 
tribes  came  in  bringing  fruit,  and  everything  was 
harmonious,  and  treaties  of  amity  were  made  with 
all.  The  one  with  Itsi  was  quite  ceremonious. 
Among  other  things,  he  gave  Stanley  a  white 
powder  as  a  charm  against  evil,  in  return  for  which, 
the  latter,  with  all  due  gravity,  presented  him  with 
a  half-ounce  vial  full  of  magnesia  as  the  white 
man's  charm.  This  and  blood-brotherhood  closed 
27 


41 8  /^  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA 

the  formal  proceedings  of  the  treaty-making  pow- 
ers— quite  as  important,  in  their  way,  as  similar 
councils  in  civilized  countries. 

Stanley  found  by  observation  that  though  he 
had  traveled  from  Nyangwe  over  one  thousand 
two  hundred  miles,  he  had  descended  not  quite  a 
thousand  feet. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

AMONG   THE    CATARACTS. 

IT  is  a  little  singular,  that  in  this  age  of  inquiry 
and  persistent  effort  to  get  at  the  cause  of 
things,  no  one  has  yet  attempted  to  explain 
the  reason  of  tribal  differences.  Aborigines  oc- 
cupying the  same  parallels  of  latitude  and  longi- 
tude, subject  to  the  same  influences  of  climate, 
living  on  the  same  diet,  are  different  in  color,  fea- 
tures, and  more  than  all,  in  disposition.  The  real, 
or  supposed  influences,  that  lie  at  the  bottom  of 
the  different  races,  do  not  apply  here.  Difference 
of  origin,  of  climate,  of  food,  all  these  must  have 
great  effect  in  changing  color,  features  and  char- 
acter, and  hence,  to  a  certain  extent,  explain  how 
such  distinct  nationalities  exist,  but  they  do  not  in 
the  least  account  for  tribal  differences  where  all 
these  are  the  same,  and  where  there  are  not  even 
barriers  of  mountains  and  rivers  separating  them. 
Why  should  our  western  Indian  tribes,  roaming 
over  the  same  prairies,  living  on  the  same  food, 
and  similar  in  all  their  modes  of  life,  be  yet  so  dif- 
ferent in  form,  feature  and  disposition  ?  Is  there 
really  no  way  of  getting  a  satisfactory,  true  ex- 
planation of  all  this  ? 

So  in  Africa,  Stanley  crossed  the  continent  in 

(419) 


j^2o  ^^  ^^^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 

the  same  general  range  of  latitude.  The  savages 
he  met  were  all  dwellers  of  the  equatorial  region, 
and  hence  lived  in  the  same  climate,  used  the  same 
food,  dressed  in  the  same  way,  and  lived  the  same 
life,  and  yet  they  were  as  dissimilar  as  different 
nationalities.  If  any  educational  influences  had 
been  brought  to  bear  upon  them  one  could  under- 
stand this,  but  none  have  been  exerted.  These 
same  tribal  differences  Stanley  found  on  the  Congo. 
Fierce  cannibals  and  gentle  agricultural  people 
were  living  side  by  side.  Suspicious,  faithless 
men,  differing  very  little  from  the  better  class  of 
monkeys,  lived  neighbors  to  tribes  unsuspicious 
and  trustful,  and  wonderfully  advanced  in  the  arts 
of  mechanism.  At  the  falls,  which  were  named 
"  Stanley  Falls,"  the  natives  were  suspicious,  faith- 
less, cruel,  but  when  he  reached  the  Livingstone 
Falls,  he  found  the  people  hospitable,  kind  and 
trustful.  When  this  difference  burst  on  Stanley 
practically,  he  felt  it  sensibly,  but  he  philosophi- 
cally dismissed  it  with  the  simple  remark,  such  "  is 
the  effect  of  trade."  We  cannot  accept  this  ex- 
planation at  all,  for  they  had  no  trade  with  the 
outside  world,  and  they  showed  the  same  kindly 
natures  before  he  commenced  trading  with  them. 
The  only  evidence  of  their  connection  with  civil- 
ized life  was  that  they  had  muskets,  and  yet  the 
very  first  tribe  which  possessed  them  was  the  most 
fierce,  implacable  and  relentless  he  met  with.  This 
ethnological  question  has  never  yet  been  settled. 


IVILD  SURROUNDINGS.  .^X 

Still  it  is  not  singular  that  Stanley  did  not  just 
then  trouble  himself  with  it.  As  long  as  the  dif- 
ference existed  and  was  now  in  his  favor  he  was 
content,  as  well  he  might  be.  The  friendly  na- 
tives at  the  head  of  these  falls  assured  him  that 
he  had  passed  the  cannibal  country,  but  they  dif- 
fered materially  as  to  the  number  of  falls  below — 
one  making  them  three,  another  a  half  dozen  or 
more.  No  matter  whether  they  were  few  or 
many,  they  must  be  passed,  though  he  dragged 
his  canoes  over  lofty  mountains  to  do  it. 

But  if  the  differences  in  the  character  of  the 
natives  was  great,  that  in  the  character  of  the 
scenery  and  aspect  of  the  river  was  no  less  so. 
The  wild,  fierce  savages  had  become  tame,  while 
the  gently  flowing  river,  studded  with  green  islands^ 
had  become  wild  and  fierce  and  angry.  The 
gradually  descending  plain  was  transformed  into 
the  terrific  gorge  over  which  hung  beetling  cliffs, 
and  the  placid  current  into  a  roaring  torrent  dash- 
ing amid  rocks,  plunging  over  precipices,  and  fill- 
ing the  solitudes  with  an  ever-angry  voice.  Hos- 
tile savages  were  behind,  but  hostile  nature  was 
before  the  adventurers,  to  whom  there  would  be 
no  rest  till  they  found  the  restless  sea. 

Immediately  before  them  were  two  stretches  of 
rapids  and  then  a  cataract.  The  first  was  a  mere 
piece  of  broken  water  that  was  easily  passed. 
Having  no  fear  of  hostile  natives,  Stanley  leisurely 
explored  both  river  and  shore  to  ascertain  the  best 


^2  2  ^^  ^^^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

way  of  getting  around  the  second  rapids.  The 
goods,  asses,  women  and  children  were  taken 
overland,  while  the  boats  were  led  with  hawsers 
from  rock  to  rock  along  the  shore.  Fortunately 
not  a  rope  broke,  and  by  five  o'clock  the  rapids 
were  passed  and  all  were  in  camp  together. 

The  last  of  the  rapids  Stanley  declared  to  be 
the  wildest  stretch  of  water  he  had  ever  seen. 
For  four  miles  the  river  looked  as  if  thrown  up- 
ward by  volcanic  action  beneath  and  at  the  same 
time  swept  by  a  fierce  hurricane  above,  and  all 
the  while  it  was  dashing  madly  on  at  the  rate  of 
thirty  miles  an  hour.  Huge  troughs  would  be 
formed,  as  if  the  stream  was  yawning  asunder, 
and  then  the  divided  water  would  come  together 
with  a  crash,  sending  up  columns  twenty  feet  high 
to  dissolve  in  foam  and  spray.  The  crash  of  col- 
liding waves  and  the  steady  roar  of  the  rapids 
were  awful.  It  was  literally  a  ''hell  of  waters.'' 
The  land  carriage  around  this  wild  stretch  was  a 
rough  piece  of  work.  Paths  of  brushwood  were 
made,  and  the  canoes  slowly  hauled  up  rocky 
heights  and  slid  down  into  deep  gullies — the. 
women  and  children  toiling  after.  They  were 
nearly  four  days  getting  around  this  four  miles  of 
impassable  rapids.  The  men  were  fainting  for 
want  of  food  when  smooth  water  was  at  last 
reached.  This,  however,  continued  but  a  short 
distance,  when  they  had  to  take  to  land  again  and 
haul  their  boats  over  a  rocky  point  for  three-quar- 


TERRIBLE  RAPIDS.  ^2^ 

ters  of  a  mile.  This  task  took  three  days  to  ac- 
complish. When  it  is  remembered  that  one  of 
the  canoes  was  eighty-five  feet  long,  and  another 
seventy-five  and  dug  out  of  a  solid  tree,  we  can 
get  some  conception  of  the  tremendous  effort  it 
required  to  transport  them  over  rocks  and  hills. 
When  smooth  water  was  again  reached,  it  gave 
them  only  a  short  respite.  Stanley,  however, 
found  it  necessary  to  halt  and  give  the  people 
rest,  for  the  tremendous  strain  of  the  last  week 
was  telling  fearfully  on  them.  %k^ 

On  the  25th,  they  found  themselves  once  more" 
confronted  by  ugly  rapids.  In  endeavoring  to 
lead  the  boats  around  them,  the  best  canoe  was 
dragged  by  the  mere  force  of  the  current  from  the 
hands  of  fifty  men  and  whirled  down  the  mad 
stream  and  dashed  to  pieces.  Toiling  amid  the 
rocks  several  men  were  injured,  one  having  his 
shoulder  dislocated,  while  Stanley  fell  into  a  chasm 
thirty  feet  deep,  but  fortunately  struck  on  his  feet, 
and  thus  escaped  with  some  slight  bruises,  though 
he  was  very  much  stunned.  On  the  27th,  they 
succeeded  in  getting  past  this  "cauldron/'  as  it  was 
called,  although  they  narrowly  escaped  losing  their 
largest  canoe.  The  next  day  they  had  smooth 
water  for  a  short  distance  and  then  they  came  to 
"Rocky  Falls.''  These,  however,  were  passed  with 
comparative  ease  and  two  men  were  sent  forward 
to  explore.  They  reported,  on  their  return,  that 
about  a  mile  below  was  another  cataract,  and  that 


-24  ^^  ^^^   WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 

at  its  head  was  an  excellent  camping  place  in  a 
sheltered  bay.  Stanley  determined  to  reach  this 
spot  before  dark,  and  so,  manning  his  seventeen  re^ 
maining  canoes,  he  led  the  way,  hugging  the  shore, 
so  as  not  to  get  into  the  suction  of  the  water  above 
the  falls.  All  were  told  to  follow  him  and  by  no 
means  to  venture  out  into  the  middle  of  the  stream. 
Keeping  close  to  the  right  bank,  he  felt  his  way 
carefully  onward  and  at  last  floated  into  the  tran- 
quil bay,  at  the  head  of  the  fall.  Three  canoes 
followed  him,  and  as  he  was  waiting  for  the  others 
to  come  in  he  saw,  to  his  horror,  the  largest  canoe 
in  midstream  and  coming  down  like  a  race-horse. 
Kalulu  had  charge  of  this,  and  deceived  by  the 
smooth,  glassy  surface  of  the  stream,  he  had  pulled 
out  into  midcurrent.  The  moment  he  was  caught 
by  it  his  doom  and  that  of  the  four  men  with  him 
was  sealed.  There  was  nothing  to  be  done  by 
those  on  shore  but  to  watch  the  swiftly-gliding 
boat  till  it  shot  over  the  edge  of  the  falls  to  dis- 
appear in  the  tumult  below.  Three  of  the  men 
were  Stanley's  especial  favorites,  and  he  felt  their 
loss  keenly.  While  his  eyes  was  yet  resting  on 
the  spot  where  they  had  gone  down,  another  canoe 
shot  in  sight,  driving  straight  for  the  falls.  Fortu- 
nately, it  struck  them  at  the  least  dangerous  point 
and  went  over  safely,  then,  skillfully  working  the 
canoe  toward  the  shore,  its  two  inmates  sprang 
overboard  and  swam  to  land.  Stanley  immediately 
dispatched  his  boat's  crew  up-stream  to  tell  the 


Q) 


SOUDVS  MAR  VELOUS  ESCAPE.  a  2 1 

rest  to  hug  the  shore,  and  in  no  case  to  venture 
out  into  the  stream.  Before  they  reached  the  ca- 
noes, another  one,  with  only  the  lad  Soudi,  shot 
by,  he  crying,  as  he  was  borne  swiftly  onward, 
''  There  is  but  one  God — I  am  lost,  master,"  and 
the  next  moment  he  too  dropped  out  of  sight. 
Strange  to  say,  though  the  canoe  was  whirled  about 
at  the  bottom  like  a  spinning-top,  it  did  not  sink, 
and  was  finally  swept  out  of  sight  behind  an 
island.     The  rest  of  the  canoes  arrived  safely. 

The  next  day  Stanley  sent  Frank  to  bring  over 
the  goods  to  where  he  was  encamped,  while  he 
himself  traded  with  the  natives,  whom  he  found 
very  friendly,  and  from  whom  he  obtained  abun- 
dant provisions.  After  resting  one  day,  they  got 
everything  round  the  falls  and  encamped  on  the 
1st  of  April.  In  the  afternoon,  to  the  surprise  and 
joy  of  all,  young  Soudi  walked  into  camp.  He 
had  a  strange  story  to  tell.  He  was  borne  help- 
lessly down  the  rapids,  confused  and  dizzy,  till  at 
last  the  boat  drifted  against  a  rock,  when  he  jumped 
out  and  got  on  shore.  Before  he  had  time  to 
think  where  he  was,  he  was  seized  from  behind  and 
pinioned,  and  dragged  to  the  top  of  the  mountain  by 
two  men,  who  stripped  and  examined  him  with  great 
curiosity.  The  next  day  several  of  the  tribe  came 
to  see  him,  one  of  whom  had  been  in  Stanley's 
camp  when  King  Itsi  visited  it,  and  he  told  such 
terrible  stories  about  Stanley  and  of  his  gun  that 
could  shoot  all  day,  that  they  became  frightened 


428 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 


and  took  Soudi  back  to  the  place  where  they  had 
found  him,  and  told  him  to  speak  well  of  them. 
The  other  two  men  who  had  gone  safely  over  the 
fall,  and  also  joined  the  camp. 

Proceeding  on  down-stream  they  came  to  more 
rapids,  in  passing  which  they  met  many  narrow 
escapes.  It  was,  indeed,  a  succession  of  rapids, 
and  while  Stanley  conducted  the  boats  through 
them,  Frank  took  the  rest  of  the  party  and  goods 
overland.  The  former  examined  every  inch  of  the 
way  carefully  before  starting.  Thus  day  after  day 
passed,  they  continually  fighting  the  relentless 
river.  Sometimes  the  water  was  too  rough  to 
admit  the  passage  of  the  boats,  and  then  they  had 
to  be  carried  overland.  It  was  slow  and  tedious 
work,  and  but  little  progress  was  made.  The 
question  each  one  kept  asking  himself  was,  how 
long  will  this  last  and  when  shall  we  see  smooth 
water  again  ? 

Each  day  was  but  the  repetition  of  its  predeces- 
sor, and  if  the  natives  had  been  as  hostile  as  those 
farther  up  the  river,  they  could  not  have  got  on 
at  all.  The  only  variation  was  when  the  river 
took  some  new  whim  or  the  formation  of  the  coun- 
try required  more  effort  and  new  modes  of  getting 
on.  Thus  one  day  they  undertook  to  lead  the  ca- 
noes by  hawsers  around  a  rocky  point  where  the 
eddies  set  up-stream  with  the  strength  and  veloc- 
ity of  a  torrent,  so  that  it  seemed  impossible  to 
get  them  down-stream.     To  add  to  the  difficulty, 


NARROW  ESCAPE  OF  STANLEY. 


429 


the  cliffs  on  the  top  of  which  the  men  with  the 
hawsers  stood,  were  fifty  feet  high  and  their  jagged 
edges  sawed  the  ropes  till  they  parted  one  after 
another. 

So  creeping  along  the  shore  to-day,  and  daring 
the  midstream,  which,  though  boisterous,  was 
clear  of  rocks,  to-morrow,  they  kept  on,  hoping 
after  the  next  stretch  to  reach  a  quiet  flowing  river. 
The  Lady  Alice  fared  hard  in  this  perilous  navi- 
gation, and  once  came  near  being  lost.  All  this 
time  the  resources  of  the  expedition  were  being 
exhausted,  for  though  the  natives  were  friendly 
everything  had  to  be  paid  for,  and  it  was  not  diffi- 
cult to  answer  the  question,  "How  long  will  our 
remaining  currency  last?'' 

The  next  rapids  they  came  to  Stanley  named 
the  "Lady  AHce  Rapids,"  because,  as  we  suppose, 
both  he  and  the  boat  escaped  almost  by  a  miracle 
from  sharing  one  sad  fate  in  the  wild  and  mad 
waters  of  the  Livingstone.  The  cables  lashed  to 
bow  and  stern,  to  let  the  boat  down,  parted,  or 
were  snatched  from  the  hands  on  shore,  and  away 
she  dashed  down  the  foaming  current.  Above, 
the  naked  cliffs  rose  three  hundred  feet  high — 
around  boiled  and  tossed  the  tumultuous  waters, 
and  certain  destruction  seemed  to  await  the  man 
who  had  triumphed  over  so  many  obstacles  and 
who  at  last  was  nearing  the  goal  of  his  ambition. 
The  Arabs,  whose  life  depended  on  his  life,  were 
in  despair — their  master  was  gone — there  was  no 


430 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


one  left  to  lead  them  out  jf  this  strange  wilder- 
ness. Nothing  but  the  coolness  of  Stanley  saved 
him  and  his  crew.  Watching  every  change  in  the 
flow  of  the  current — resigning  himself  to  the  wild 
will  of  the  mad  waters  when  struoro-linor  was  use- 
less — taking  advantage  of  every  favorable  change 
of  the  current  and  bidding  his  men  row  for  life  at 
the  right  time,  he  at  length  reached  shore,  and  at 
once  sent  messengers  to  his  despairing  camp  to 
tell  them  he  was  safe.  He  knew,  and  they  knew, 
that  all  their  lives  hung  on  his.-  He  had  a  narrow 
escape,  and  the  natives  on  shore,  as  they  watched 
his  boat  flung  about  like  a  cockle-shell  in  the  boil- 
ing surge,  looked  upon  him  as  lost. 

If  Stanley  wanted  any  new  proof  of  the  affection 
of  his  Arabs  for  him,  he  had  it  now.  He  had  been 
able,  after  his  fierce  struggle  with  the  rapids  and 
being  carried,  in  the  meantime,  over  one  fall,  to 
reach  land  at  least  two  miles  below  his  camp,  in 
which  he  was  looked  upon  as  lost.  When,  there- 
fore, the  message  was  received  that  he  was  alive 
and  safe,  his  followers  streamed  forth  in  one  con- 
fused mass,  and  hastening  down  the  river^  came  in 
a  long,  straggling  line  in  sight  of  Stanley,  waving 
their  arms  on  high,  shouting  words  of  welcome  and 
overwhelming  him  with  expressions  of  exuberant 
joy.  This  involuntary  outburst  of  feeling  and 
gratitude  that  their  "master"  was  safe,  repaid 
him  tenfold  for  all  the  suffering  and  peril  he  had 
endured.     It  is  strange,  when    such   momentous 


A  CLUSTER  OF  CATARACTS.  a^^ 

results  hang  on  a  single  life,  how  we  go  on  as 
though  nothing  depended  upon  it  till  the  moment 
comes  when  we  are  about  losing  it. 

The  men,  women  and  children  had  joined  in  this 
grand  exodus  to  congratulate  Stanley  on  his  de- 
liverance from  what  appeared  certain  death,  and 
the  men  now  returned  to  bring  the  goods  to  this 
point  where  the  new  camp  was  pitched.  Not  twenty 
rods  from  it  the  Nikenke  River  came  foaming  and 
tumbling  into  the  Livingstone  from  a  precipice  one 
thousand  feet  high,  with  a  terrific  roar  and  rumble. 
Almost  as  near,  another  tributary  dashed  over  a 
ledge  four  hundred  feet  high,  while  just  above  was 
the  wild  rapids  he  had  just  passed,  and  just  below 
another  stretch  of  swift  and  tumbling  water.     The 
din  of  these  surrounding  cataracts  made  a  fearful, 
terrific  music  in  these  mysterious  solitudes,  and 
awakened  strange  feelings  in  Stanley,  as  he  lay 
and  listened  and  wondered  what  would  come  next. 
The  sharp  crash  of  the  near  cataract  tumbling 
from  its  height  of  a  thousand  feet,  the  low  rumble 
of  the  lower  fall  and  the  deep  boom  of  the  mighty 
river  made  up  a  grand  diapason  there  in  the  wilds 
of  Central  Africa.     West  from  the  great  lakes  the 
continent  seemed  to  stretch  in  one  vast  plateau, 
across  which  the  river  moved  in  placid  strength, 
its  gently  sweeping  current  parted  with  beautiful 
islands,  that  filled  the  air  with    perfume  exhaled 
from  countless  flowers    and   tropical    plants,  and 
making  a  scene  of  loveliness  that  intoxicated  the 


432  ^^  ^^^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

senses.  But  all  this  was  marred  by  the  presence 
of  blood-thirsty  cannibals,  whose  war-drums  and 
savage  cries  filled  this  world  of  beauty  with  terrific 
sounds  and  nameless  fears.  But  the  moment  the 
stream  reached  the  edge  of  this  plateau,  where  man 
seemed  to  become  more  human,  it  rolled  into  cata- 
racts and  rapids,  down  a  steep  incline,  till  it  came 
to  the  sea.  Canoes  were  upset  and  lost,  and  men 
were  barely  saved  from  death  by  expert  swimming 
during  these  fearful  days,  and  yet  Stanley  could 
get  no  reliable  information  from  the  natives  how  far 
down  this  remorseless  stretch  of  water  extended. 
This  terrible  struggle,  which  the  party  underwent, 
and  the  exhausting  nature  of  their  work  may  be 
faintly  imagined  when  it  is  stated  that  for  thirty- 
seven  consecutive  days  they  made  less  than  a  mile 
a  day.  It  was  a  constant  succession  of  rapids  from 
the  middle  of  March  to  the  latter  part  of  April. 

At  length,  on  the  2 2d,  they  came  to  the  "big 
cataract,''  called  by  the  natives  Inkisi,  which 
Stanley  fondly  believed  would  be  the  last.  The 
table-land  here  is  one  thousand  feet  high,  and  the 
natives  occupying  it  flocked  into  Stanley's  camp, 
curious  to  know  how  he  was  to  get  his  canoes  past 
the  falls.  When  he  told  them  he  was  going  to 
drag  them  over  that  table-land  one  thousand  feet 
high,  they  looked  at  him  in  speechless  astonish- 
ment. His  own  men  were  thunderstruck  when 
he  announced  to  them  his  determination.  But 
they  had  become  so  accustomed  to  believe  he  could 


CANOES  ON  MOUNTAIN-TOFS. 


433 


do  anything  he  resolved  upon,  that  they  silently 
acquiesced.  The  natives,  as  they  looked  at  the 
heavy  canoes  and  then  on  the  lofty  height,  with  its 
steep,  craggy  ascent,  took  their  departure  and 
began  to  climb  back  to  their  homes  to  secure  their 
property,  for  they  said,  if  the  white  man  intended 
to  fly  his  boats  over  the  mountains,  they  did  not 
know  what  terrible  things  might  next  happen. 

Having  settled  on  the  undertaking,  Stanley  im- 
mediately set  to  work  to  carry  it  out,  and  the  first 
day  built  a  road  nearly  a  mile  long.  The  next  day 
the  Lady  Alice  and  a  small  canoe  were  resting  on 
the  high  summit.  The  work  was  done  so  quietly 
and  without  any  disastrous  results  to  life  and 
property,  that  the  native  chiefs  were  dumb  with 
admiration  and  offered  to  bring  six  hundred  men 
next  day  to  help  haul  up  the  heavy  canoes.  They 
kept  their  word,  and  soon  boats  and  baggage  were 
in  camp  on  the  top  of  the  mountain.  Sending  off 
a  party  ten  miles  ahead  to  prepare  the  natives  for 
his  coming,  Stanley  took  the  women  and  children, 
with  the  goods  and  boat's  crew,  on  to  the  next 
tribe  to  make  a  camp  near  the  river,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  exploring  the  defile  through  which  he  was 
finally  to  work  his  way. 

He  had  found  many  articles  of  English  make 
among  the  natives,  showing  that  he  was  approach- 
ing the  coast  from  which  these  must  have  been 
obtained.  They  had  not,  however,  been  brought 
there  by  traders,  but  had  worked  their  way  up 
28 


A^A  IN  THE   WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 

from  market  to  market  along  the  river.  The  sight 
of  them  was  encouraging  to  the  members  of  the 
expedition  who  were  getting  worn  out,  while  dis- 
ease also  prevailed  to  a  large  extent  and  threat- 
ened to  increase.  Still  they  might  be  a  great  way 
off  from  the  coast  yet,  in  time  if  not  in  distance, 
if  they  continued  to  make  but  one  mile  a  day. 
Hence  Stanley  had  to  be  very  economical  in 
everything,  especially  in  the  use  of  meat,  though 
the  constant  and  terrible  mental  and  physical 
strain  on  him  made  it  necessary  that  he  should 
have  the  most  nourishing  food.  For  lack  of  this 
in  a  simple  form,  he  concocted  a  dish  out  of 
vegetables,  fruit  and  oil,  which  proved  to  him  a 
great  benefit. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

EXPERIENCES    BY   THE    WAY, 

IT  was  the  29th  of  April  when  Stanley  gave 
his  last  instructions  to  his  Arab  chiefs  about 
getting  the  canoes  down  the  mountain  to 
Nzabi,  the  home  of  the  next  tribe  west.  On  his 
way  he  entered  a  magnificent  forest — the  tall  and 
shapely  trees  of  which  reminded  him  of  his  early 
wanderings  in  the  wilds  of  Arkansas  and  on  our 
western  frontiers.  It  was  not  strange,  while  look- 
ing at  them,  that  he  should  be  reminded  of  the 
"dug-outs''  of  the  Indians  which  he  had  so  often 
seen,  and  that  the  thought  should  occur  to  him  to 
make  some  canoes,  to  take  the  place  of  those 
which  he  had  lost  in  the  passage  of  the  rapids  and 
falls  above.  It  seems  as  if  his  early  life  had  pre- 
pared him  especially  for  all  the  contingencies  that 
were  to  occur  in  his  long  and  varied  explorations 
in  Africa.  After  thinking  the  matter  over  a  short 
time,  he  resolved  that  the  boats  should  be  built, 
and  having  obtained  permission  of  the  chief  of 
the  district,  he  at  once  commenced  operations. 
The  first  tree  selected  was  more  than  three  feet 
in  diameter  and  ran  up  sixty  feet  straight  before  it 
reached  a  limb.  As  soon  as  it  was  prone  on  the 
ground  the  men  were  set  to  work  in  sections  upon 

(435) 


436  ^^  ^^^  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 

it,  and  in  a  week  it  was  finished.  In  a  week  more 
another  was  completed,  measuring  forty-five  feet 
in  length  and  eighteen  inches  deep.  All  this  time 
the  canoes  were  advancing  over  the  land  at  the 
rate  of  a  little  more  than  a  third  of  a  mile  a  day, 
and  finally  they  reached  camp  the  day  before  the 
second  boat  was  finished. 

Things,  however,  had  gone  badly  in  the  camp 
on  the  mountain-top  after  Stanley  left,  for  the 
Arabs,  following  their  apparently  natural  propen- 
sity, began  to  steal.  One  man,  who  had  been 
caught  in  the  act,  was  seized  and  made  a  prisoner 
by  the  natives  who  resolved  to  keep  him  as  a  slave. 
Stanley  spent  an  entire  day  negotiating  for  his  re- 
demption, and  finally  had  to  give  one  hundred 
and  fifty  dollars'  worth  of  cloth  to  get  him  released. 
It  was  plain  that  he  could  not  afford  to  redeem 
many  men  at  this  price,  and  he  distinctly  told  them 
that  if  after  this  any  of  them  were  caught  steal- 
ing, they  would  be  left  in  the  hands  of  the  natives, 
to  be  held  as  slaves  for  life.  A  terrible  punish- 
ment, yet  as  it  proved  not  great  enough  to  deter 
them  from  committing  the  same  crime  afterwards, 
as  opportunity  offered. 

The  labor  of  the  men  engaged  in  hauling  the 
canoes  over  the  high  mountain  had  been  so  great, 
that  Stanley  felt  that  some  days  of  rest  were  de- 
manded to  recuperate  them.  But  as  idleness  was 
always  the  fruitful  source  of  all  kinds  of  evil  with 
the  Arabs,  he  determined  to  keep  the  men  who 


CANOE  BUILDING. 


437 


had  hewed  out  the  two  boats  still  at  work,  and 
set  them  to  making  a  third  canoe. 

The  chief  of  this  district  now  informed  Stanley, 
greatly  to  his  surprise  and  disappointment,  that 
there  were  five  falls  immediately  below  him,  while 
how  many  lay  between  these  and  the  sea  no  one 
could  tell.  No  matter;  he  must  still  move  on, 
and,  for  the  present,  cling  to  the  river  on  account 
of  the  sick,  if  for  no  other  reason. 

On  the  1 8th,  he  sent  off  a  man  to  get  some  axes 
repaired  by  a  native  blacksmith.  While  the  latter 
was  engaged  in  the  work,  a  spark  flew  from  the 
anvil  against  the  body  of  one  of  his  children  play- 
ing near  by,  burning  him  slightly.  The  enraged 
man  asserted  that  the  accident  was  owing  to  a 
wicked  charm  of  the  stranger,  and,  running  out, 
he  beat  the  war-drum,  at  which  the  excited  natives 
assembled  in  great  fury,  and  the  poor  Arab  was 
in  danger  of  immediate  immolation,  when  the  chief 
happened  to  arrive  and  saved  him. 

On  May  2 2d,  the  great  teak  canoe,  the  third 
which  had  been  built,  and  which  Stanley  named 
Livingstone,  was  launched  in  the  creek  just  above 
its  entrance  into  the  river  amid  the  shouts  of  the 
natives.  It  could  carry  forty-six  people.  So'  far 
as  means  of  transportation  was  concerned,  Stanley 
was  now  at  ease — but  would  there  ever  be  a 
peaceful  river  on  which  these  twelve  canoes  could 
float? 

It  was  now  the  2  2d  of  May,  and  since  the  24th 


438 


IN  THE   WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


of  February  there  had  been  forty  rainy  days,  and 
hence  for  the  month  they  had  been  working  their 
slow,  tedious  way  over  the  ridges  and  mountains, 
the  river  had  been  continually  rising  and  now, 
more  than  eleven  feet  above  its  usual  height,  it 
was  rolling  in  a  grand,  resistless  flood  through  the 
gorges.  Thunder  and  lightning  had  accompanied 
the  storms,  lighting  up  the  wild  river,  drowning  its 
fierce  roar  and  drenching  the  wanderers,  till  it 
seemed  as  if  heaven  itself  was  leagued  with  the 
natives  and  the  cataracts  to  drive  them  to  despair 
and  to  destruction.  The  river  was  still  rising,  and 
the  rush  and  roar  of  the  waters  were  only  less 
terrific  than  the  deafening  thunder-peels  that  shook 
the  chasm  in  which  they  were  confined.  Still  they 
must  move  on,  even  though  it  should  be  to  greater 
horrors  and  more  desperate  conditions  and  a 
darker  fate.  So  on  the  23d  of  May  they  set  out, 
and  carrying  around  a  short  fall  in  the  creek  on 
the  banks  of  which  they  had  been  encamping,  and 
ascending  a  mountain,  they  pushed  slowly  on  for 
three  miles  over  a  plateau — the  sick  and  suffering 
complaining  bitterly,  while  the  well  were  almost 
ready  to  give  out  and  die  then  and  there  on  the 
shores  of  the  river.  Every  fall  was  expected  to  be 
the  last,  and  yet  each  proved  the  forerunner  only 
of  a  worse  one  to  come. 

From  this  creek  Stanley  led  those  of  the  expe- 
dition who  could  walk  to  the  head  of  the  Mowwa 
Falls.     Frank,  whose  lame  foot  did  not  permit  him 


A  TERRIFIC  PASS,  ^^Q 

to  walk,  took  the  Lady  Alice,  followed  by  the 
canoes,  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  creek,  to  coast 
carefully  along  down  the  river  to  the  same  camp- 
ing-place. In  the  meantime,  Stanley,  who  had 
arrived  first,  took  a  long  and  anxious  survey  of 
the  terrific  scene  before  him.  At  the  head  of  the 
falls,  where  he  stood  on  a  grassy  plot,  a  ledge  of 
rock  twelve  feet  high  ran  straight  across  the  river 
like  a  wall  for  a  mile  and  a  quarter  and  then 
stopped.  From  the  end  to  the  opposite  shore  it 
was  a  clear  space  of  a  little  more  than  a  quarter 
of  a  mile,  through  which  the  compressed  river 
rushed  with  a  strength  and  shout  and  fury  that 
were  appalling.  This  wall  of  rock,  however,  was 
not  solid — here  and  there  it  was  cut  through  as  if 
by  some  mighty  blow,  making  separate  channels 
that  had  a  fall  of  twelve  feet.  Below,  as  far  as  the 
eye  could  reach,  treeless  mountains  arose  nearly  a 
mile  into  the  heavens,  while  halfway  up  from  the 
mad  river,  that  tore  with  the  sound  of  thunder 
along  their  bases,  perpendicular  cliffs  stood  walling 
in  this  awful  embodiment  of  power. 

A  scene  of  more  utter  desolation  cannot  be 
imagined  than  was  here  presented  to  his  view  in 
this  solitary  spot.  The  camp  seemed  a  mere  speck 
amid  these  gigantic  outlines  of  mountain  and  river. 
As  he  thus  looked  and  Kstened,  awe-struck  and 
subdued,  he  saw  Frank  in  the  Lady  Alice  coming 
through  the  rapids  at  a  terrific  pace.  This  was 
the  first  time  Frank  had  attempted  such  a  feat,  and 


AAO  ^^  '^^^   WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

he  got  confused,  and  was  finally  thrown  into  the 
worst  part  of  the  rapids,  and  in  his  frantic  struggles 
to  release  himself,  he  struck  a  rock  and  stove  a 
hole  six  inches  square  into  the  boat.  However, 
all  were  landed  in  safety,  though  Stanley  mourned 
greatly  over  the  severe  injury  to  his  boat,  which 
thus  far  had  escaped  all  harm.  It  took  him  a 
whole  day  to  repair  it.  Two  days  after,  the  goods 
were  transferred  below  and  the  boats  dropped 
carefully  through  the  ledge  near  the  shore,  where 
the  water  was  less  rough,  and  reached  the  camp 
below  the  great  falls  in  safety. 

While  resting  here  there  occurred  one  of  the 
most  interesting  scenes  of  this  whole  remarkable 
journey.  In  the  transportation  of  goods  over  the 
mountains  robberies  of  beads,  etc.,  had  been  com- 
mitted, and  now  the  last  man  in  the  whole  party 
Stanley  would  wish  to  have  accused  of  theft 
was  found  guilty — the  noble,  brave,  reliable  and 
kind  Uledi.  True  as  steel  in  the  hour  of  danger, 
quiet,  obedient,  thinking  nothing  of  his  life  if 
Stanley  asked  him  to  risk  it,  he  had  yet  stolen^ 
not  things  of  ordinary  value,  but  that  on  which 
their  very  existence  might  depend.  Cloth  was 
getting  so  plenty  among  the  natives  that  its  value 
was  very  much  decreased,  but  beads  were  worth 
ten  times  their  weight  in  gold,  and  these  Uledi 
had  stolen  and  hidden  in  his  mat.  Of  course  this 
must  be  stooped  at  all  hazards  and  at  whatever 
sacrifice,  still  Stanley  would  almost  as  soon  have 


A   TRIAL  FOR  THEFT.  .^^j 

lost  his  hand  as  to  leave  Uledi,  as  he  had  threatened 
he  would  the  next  man  he  cauorht  stealino-,  in  the 
liands  of  the  savao^es  as  a  slave  forever.  He 
therefore  called  the  chiefs  together  and  made  them 
a  speech,  in  v^hich  he  clearly  showed  them  that 
their  lives  depended  on  putting  a  stop  to  theft,  for 
if  they  were  left  without  anything  to  buy  provisions 
with  they  all  would  inevitably  perish  of  famine 
before  they  reached  the  sea.  He  also  asked  them 
what  should  be  done  with  Uledi,  on  whom  stolen 
goods  had  been  found. 

The  principal  chief  would  not  answer  for  some 
time,  but  being  urged  to  give  his  opinion  said  at 
last :  It  was  very  hard,  seeing  it  was  Uledi.  Had 
it  been  anybody  else  he  declared  he  would  vote  to 
pitch  him  into  the  river,  but  now  he  gave  his  vote 
for  flogging.  The  rest  of  the  chiefs  concurred 
with  him.  Stanley  then  turned  to  the  boat's  crew^ 
of  which  Uledi  was  coxswain  and  by  whom  he  was 
dearly  loved.  The  principal  one  and  the  most 
relied  on,  the  watchman  of  the  boat,  replied,  ''Ah> 
it  is  a  hard  question,  master.  He  is  like  our  elder 
brother ;  but,  as  the  fathers  of  the  people  have 
spoken,  be  it  so ;  yet,  for  our  sakes,  master,  beat 
him  just  a  little^  He  next  accosted  Zaidi,  by 
whose  side  Uledi  had  clung  all  night  in  the  midst 
of  the  cataract,  and  had  saved  his  life  by  risking 
his  own.  He  replied,  ''Remember  it  is  Uledi, 
master.''  Next  he  addressed  Uledi's  brother,  who 
cried  **  Spare   Uledi,  but,  if  he  must  be  flogged. 


.  ^2  ^^  ^^^   WlJLDS  OF  AFRICA, 

give  me  half  of  it,  I  shall  not  feel  it  if  it  is  for  Ule 
di/'  Last  of  all  he  asked  the  poor  culprit's  cousin, 
when  he  replied  in  a  speech  that  the  London  Athe- 
naeum, in  quoting  it,  said  would  stand  beside  that 
of  Jeanie  Dean's  when  pleading  for  her  sister. 
It  occurred  thus : 

The  poor  fellow  asked,  "Will  the  master  give  his 
slave  liberty  to  speak  ?"  "  Yes/'  replied  Stanley. 
He  then  came  forward,  and  kneeling  before  him 
and  clasping  his  feet  with  his  hands,  said :  "  The 
master  is  wise.  All  things  that  happen  he  writes 
in  a  book.  Each  day  there  is  something  written. 
We  black  men  know  nothing,  neither  have  we  any 
memory.  What  we  saw  yesterday  is  to-day  for- 
gotten. Yet  the  master  forgets  nothing.  Perhaps, 
if  the  master  will  look  into  his  book,  he  may  see 
something  in  it  about  Uledi.  How  Uledi  behaved 
on  Lake  Tanganika ;  how  he  rescued  Zaidi  from 
the  cataract ;  how  he  has  saved  many  men,  whose 
names  I  cannot  remember,  from  the  river — Bill 
Ali,  Mabruki,  Kom-kusi  and  others.  How  he 
worked  harder  on  the  canoe  than  any  three  men ; 
how  he  has  been  the  first  to  listen  to  your  voice 
always ;  how  he  has  been  the  father  of  the  boat- 
boys.  With  Uledi,  master,  the  boat-boys  are 
good  and  ready,  without  him  they  are  nothing. 
Uledi  is  Shumari's  brother.  If  Uledi  is  bad,  Shu- 
mari  is  good.  Uledi  is  my  cousin.  If,  as  the 
chiefs  say,  Uledi  should  be  punished,  Shumari 
says  he  will  take  half  of  the  punishment;    then 


A  TOUCHING  SCENE,  ..^ 

give  Saywa  the  other  half,  and  set  Uledi  free. 
Saywa  has  spoken/' 

All  this  was  uttered  in  a  low,  humble  tone,  with 
his  head  bowed  to  Stanley's  feet.  Stanley  could 
not  resist  such  an  appeal,  and  said :  "  Very  well, 
Uledi,  by  the  voice  of  the  people,  is  condemned ; 
but  as  Shumari  and  Saywa  have  promised  to  take 
the  punishment  on  themselves,  Uledi  is  set  free 
and  Shumari  and  Saywa  are  pardoned/'  The 
moment  the  poor  fellow  was  set  free,  he  stepped 
forward  and  said :  "  Master,  it  was  not  Uledi  who 
stole — it  was  the  devil  which  entered  into  his  heart." 

This  touching  scene  is  given,  not  merely  for  its 
pathos,  but  because  these  untutored  natives,  here 
in  the  wilds  of  Africa,  illustrated  the  principles  that 
lie  at  the  very  foundation  of  the  Christian  religion. 
First,  they  recognized  the  great  fundamental  doc- 
trine of  atonement — of  expiation — the  suffering  of 
the  innocent  in  the  place  of  the  guilty,  by  which  the 
offender  can  be  pardoned.  In  the  second  place, 
Uledi  uttered  over  again  the  sentiments  of  Paul — 
when  a  man's  whole  nature  revolts  at  the  wrong 
he  has  done,  and  hates  himself  for  it,  it  is  not  he 
that  commits  it,  but  "  sin  that  dwelleth  in  him," 
when  he  would  do  good,  evil  was  present  with  him. 
It  was  a  happy  termination  of  the  affair,  for  it 
would  have  been  a  cruel  act  to  have  had  the  noble, 
true,  unselfish  and  brave  Uledi  suffer  the  indignity 
of  a  whip. 

Another  scene  occurred,  while   in   camp,  that 


444 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


shows  on  what  an  insignificant,  nay,  ridiculous, 
thing  the  fate  of  a  great  expedition  may  turn. 
One  day,  Stanley  being  at  leisure  took  out  his 
note-book  and  began  to  write,  as  was  his  custom 
when  he  had  a  few  hours  to  himself.  The  natives 
who  flocked  into  camp  in  great  numbers  daily^ 
noticed  him  and  began  to  whisper  among  them- 
selves. The  crowd  around  him  gradually  increased 
and  began  to  be  strangely  agitated,  as  the  word 
"  tara  tara"  passed  from  lip  to  lip,  and  presently, 
as  if  seized  by  a  single  impulse,  they  all  ran  away. 
Stanley  merely  observed  the  fact  without  stopping 
to  think  what  the  cause  of  this  sudden  abandon- 
ment of  the  camp  might  be.  He  therefore  went 
on  writing,  when  suddenly  he  was  startled  by  loud 
war-cries  ringing  far  and  near  over  the  mountain 
top,  and,  two  hours  after,  he  saw  between  five  and 
six  hundred  natives  fully  armed  rushing  down  the 
table-land  toward  the  camp.  He  quickly  mustered 
his  men  to  be  prepared  for  what  seemed  an  unpro- 
voked attack,  but  determined,  if  possible,  to  avoid 
a  collision.  He  therefore  advanced  toward  them 
as  they  drew  near,  and,  sitting  down  on  the  ground, 
in  a  friendly  tone  asked  what  it  all  meant  and  why 
they  had  come  in  such  a  warlike  manner  to  their 
friends.  A  large  savage,  acting  as  spokesman, 
replied  that  they  had  seen  him  make  marks  on 
some  "  tara  tara.''  Those  black  lines  he  had  drawn 
on  paper,  he  said,  would  bring  sickness  and  death 
and  utter  ruin  on  the  land,  and  the  people,  and 


AN  UNEXPECTED  DILEMMA, 

445 

animals,  unless  the  book   containing"   them  was 
burnt  up. 

Here  was  an  unexpected  dilemma.  He  must 
burn  up  that  note-book  or  fight  these  five  or  six 
hundred  armed,  desperate  savages.  But  that  note- 
book, the  gathered  results  of  nearly  three  years  of 
exploration,  was  the  most  precious  thing  on  earth 
to  him.  He  was  astounded  and  sorely  perplexed 
at  the  strange  demand — burn  up  that  note-book! 
He  might  as  well  burn  up  himself.  Even  if  he 
could  remember  his  main  adventures,  he  could  not 
recall  all  the  observations,  plans  of  maps  and 
routes,  and  statistics  of  every  kind  it  contained, 
and  without  which  the  whole  expedition  was  a  fail- 
ure. No,  he  could  not  give  it  up,  but  what  then 
— fight  one  against  four,  all  armed  with  muskets, 
to  retain  it?  Suppose  he  could  put  them  to  rout, 
it  could  not  be  done  without  a  serious  loss  of  life 
to  himself  as  well  as  to  them.  But  this  was  not 
the  worst  of  it — with  the  natives  friendly  and  aiding 
him  as  they  had  done,  and  supplying  him  with  pro- 
visions, it  would  be  almost  a  miracle  if  he  ever 
reached  the  sea-shore  ;  but  with  them  hostile,  even 
if  he  could  fight  his  way  through  them,  he  would 
certainly  perish  from  famine,  for  he  could  obtain 
no  provisions,  without  which,  he  and  the  book 
would  perish  together.  But,  still,  he  could  not 
give  up  that  book,  and  he  turned  over  in  his  mind 
every  conceivable  plan  of  averting  the  catastrophe. 
Finally,  he  told  them  to  wait  a  moment,  while,  in 


AaS  in  the  wilds  of  AFRICA, 

the  meantime,  he  stepped  back  to  his  tent  as  if  to 
fetch  it. 

All  at  once  it  occurred  to  him  that  he  might  sub- 
stitute another  book  for  it,  if,  among  his  scant 
collection,  he  could  find  one  at  all  resembling  it. 
Turning  them  over,  he  came  across  a  volume  of 
Shakespeare  of  just  about  the  same  size.  True 
the  binding  was  different,  but  those  savages  knew 
as  little  of  the  peculiar  binding  of  a  book  as 
they  did  of  its  contents.  Besides  it  lay  open  on 
Stanley's  knee  when  they  saw  it,  and  they  observed 
only  the  black  lines.  However,  the  attempt  to 
pass  it  off  on  these  wild  savages  for  the  real  book 
was  worth  making.  So  taking  it  in  his  hand,  he 
walked  back  to  where  they  stood  with  ferocious 
looks  waiting  for  his  decision,  and  handing  it  to 
them,  told  them  to  take  it.  No,  they  would  not 
touch  it,  he  must  burn  it.  Well,  Stanley  said,  he 
would  do  anything  to  please  such  good  friends  as 
they  were.  So  together  they  went  to  a  camp-fire 
near  by,  and  solemnly  consigned  poor  Shake- 
speare to  the  flames. 

The  natives  were  delighted  at  this  evidence  of 
Stanley's  good- will,  and  became  faster  friends  than 
ever.  What  he  would  have  done  had  it  come  to 
the  issue — burn  that  note-book  or  fight — he  does 
not  tell  us. 

The  river  had  been  thoroughly  explored  for  two 
miles  below  where  they  were  encamped  to  the 
head  of  Zinga  Falls.     It  was  a  rough,  wild  stretch 


A  MERJ^Y  EVENING. 


447 


of  water,  but  it  was  thought  it  might  be  passed 
safely  by  using  great  caution  and  keeping  out  of 
the  midstream  rapids.  At  all  events,  Stanley  had 
determined  to  try  it  first  himself  in  his  own  boat — 
a  resolution  that  nearly  cost  him  his  life.  The 
next  day,  the  3d  of  June,  the  attempt  was  to  be 
made,  and  Frank  passed  the  evening  in  Stanley's 
tent  in  great  spirits,  talking  and  singing  songs  of 
merry  old  England.  He  was  always  singing,  and 
most  of  the  time  religious  songs  which  he  had 
learned  at  home.  The  wilds  of  Africa  had  equal- 
ized these  men,  and  they  held  sweet  communion 
together  this  last  night  on  the  banks  of  the  wild 
river.  Frank  seemed  unusually  exhilarated,  little 
dreaming,  alas,  that  the  next  night  his  lifeless  body 
would  be  tossing  amid  the  rocks  that  lined  the  bed 
of  the  fierce  torrent  below — his  merry  songs  all 
hushed — nevermore  to  while  away  the  weary  hours 
in  this  dreary  solitude  of  Africa  or  brighten  the 
life  of  his  England  home. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

DEATH    OF    FRANK    POCOKE. 

FRANK  POCOKE,  as  stated  previously, 
joined  the  expedition  under  Stanley  as  a 
servant,  and  his  brother  had  fallen  at  what 
proved  to  be  the  mere  outset. of  the  real  main  ex- 
pedition, subsequently  Frank,  by  his  intelligence, 
geniality,  ability  and  courage,  and  perhaps  quite 
as  much  by  the  necessity  of  companionship  that 
Stanley  felt  the  need  of  in  that  wild  region,  and 
which  only  a  white,  civilized  man  could  furnish, 
had  risen  above  the  position  he  had  taken  til] 
Stanley  looked  upon  him  more  as  a  friend  than  as 
a  servant.  This  was  natural;  he  was  the  only 
man  he  could  talk  with  in  English ;  the  only  man 
who  had  the  taste  and  manners  of  civilized  life; 
the  only  one  who  in  the  long  halt  could  in  any 
way  be  his  companion;  and,  more  than  all,  the 
only  man  who  could  certainly  be  depended  on  to 
stand  by  him  in  the  hour  of  danger  to  the  last, 
and  fall,  if  fall  they  must,  side  by  side.  Whoever 
else  might  prove  false  in  these  vast  untrodden 
solitudes,  Frank  Pocoke,  he  well  knew,  would  not 
be  one  of  them.  Under  such  circumstances  and 
conditions,  Stanley  would  not  have  been  the  true 
man  he  is  if  he  had  not  lifted  the  servant  up  to 

(448) 


POCOKE'S  VALUE  TO  STANLEY,  ^^g 

the  place  of  a  friend.  It  was  therefore  but  natural 
that  in  the  long  mental  discussion  at  Ziangwe  as 
to  whether  he  should  return  or  choose  some  other 
route  than  through  the  hostile  tribes  whose  terri- 
tory the  waters  of  the  Lualaba  washed,  or  push 
on  at  all  hazards  by  following  its  current  to  the 
sea,  that  he  should  take  his  quondam  servant  into 
his  confidence  and  they  should  together  talk  over 
all  the  probabilities  of  the  different  routes  to  be 
adopted.  In  another  place  we  have  shown  what 
those  difficulties  were,  and  what  the  real  or  im- 
aginable obstacles  were  that  confronted  Stanley  if 
he  determined  to  follow  the  Lualaba  at  all  hazards 
to  the  sea. 

In  speaking  of  the  death  of  young  Pocoke,  we 
wish  to  show  what  influence  he  had  at  last  in  fix- 
ing the  determination  that  led  to  his  own  death 
and  to  Stanley's  fame  as  an  explorer.  One  day, 
while  Stanley  was  discussing  with  Pocoke  the 
wisest  course  to  pursue,  the  latter  said:  "Mr. 
Stanley,  suppose  we  toss  up,  to  determine  whether 
we  shall  follow  the  Lualaba  as  far  as  the  Lowra, 
and  then  strike  off  for  Monbruto,  or  follow  it  to 
the  sea?'' 

Stanley,  who  had  become  almost  indifferent  as 
to  whether  one  course  or  the  other  would  end  his 
life,  agreed,  and  a  toss-up  was  made,  the  result 
being  on  the  side  of  following  the  river  to  the  sea. 
The  drawing  of  straws  was  then  resorted  to. 
Three  trials  of  chances  were  made,  and  the  de- 
29 


450 


JN  THE   WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


cision  of  fate,  as  proposed  by  Pocoke,  was  to  fol 
low  the  river  to  the  sea.  He  Httle  thought  that 
accidental  toss  was  a  toss-up  for  his  own  life,  and 
that  so  trivial  an  affair  settled  his  fate  forever. 
We  know  what  was  Stanley's  final  decision,  and 
though  he  does  not  acknowledge  that  this  trial  by 
chances  had  any  effect  on  his  final  determination, 
the  experience  of  human  nature,  since  the  world 
began,  proves  that  it  must  have  had.  Even  Na- 
poleon, who  believed  that  Providence  was  on  the 
side  of  the  strong  battalions,  had  an  equally 
strong  belief  in  his  "star.''  While  it,  doubtless, 
did  have  more  or  less  influence  on  Stanley,  it  did 
not  weaken  his  faith  in  the  "strong  battalions," 
which  was,  in  his  case,  a  wise  provision,  so  far  as 
he  could  make  it,  against  all  possible  and  proba- 
ble contingencies. 

We  have  said  thus  much  to  show  the  real  rela- 
tions that  Frank  Pocoke  at  last  sustained  to  the 
expedition.  In  the  long  and  terrible  march 
through  the  gloomy  forest  after  leaving  Zywague, 
and  before  finally  launching  on  the  Lualaba,  to 
quit  it  no  more  till  they  reached  the  sea  or  lay  at 
rest  forever  on  its  solitary  banks,  Pocoke's  shoes 
had  become  completely  worn  out.  In  traversing^ 
half-barefoot,  the  tangled  undergrowth,  they  had  at 
last  given  out  entirely,  and  the  result  was  his  feet 
became  chafed,  and  at  last,  through  constant  irrita- 
tion, caused  by  the  necessity  of  hastening  forward 
at  all   hazards,   the   abrasions   that  would  have 


STANLE  Y  IN  FSJtIL. 


451 


healed,  could  they  have  made  a  short  halt,  became 
ulcers,  so  that  when  they  again  struck  the  Lualaba 
he  was  unable  to  walk  any  farther,  and  Stanley 
said  that  if  at  any  time  they  would  have  to  leave 
the  river  and  carry  around  rapids,  Frank  would 
have  to  be  carried  also.  Stanley  always  led  the 
way  over  the  rapids  and  selected  the  paths  for 
hauling  around  the  canoes,  while  Pocoke  superin- 
tended the  soldiers,  distributed  the  rations,  etc. 
But  now  he  was  placed  on  the  sick-list. 

On  the  morning  of  the  3d  of  June,  they  came 
to  the  Mowwa  Falls,  around  which  they  must  carry 
and  the  men  shouldered  the  goods  and  baggage 
and  started  overland  for  Zinga,  three  miles  distant, 
while  Stanley  attempted  to  run  two  small  falls, 
named  Massesse  and  Massassa,  with  the  boat's 
crew.  Hugging  the  shore  for  about  three-quarters 
of  a  mile,  they  came  at  last  to  a  lofty  cliff,  against 
which  the  tide  threw  the  down-rushing  stream  back 
in  such  fury  that  great  whirlpools  were  formed  and 
they  steered  for  the  centre  of  the  river  and  en- 
deavored to  stem  the  tide,  but  failed.  After  fight- 
ing fiercely  against  the  raging  of  whirlpools,  they 
tried  again  to  advance  in  another  direction,  when 
Stanley  discovered  that  his  boat  was  fast  filling 
with  water,  while  the  surface  became  still  more 
terribly  agitated  at  a  point  toward  which  he  had 
been  unconsciously  drifting.  The  danger  now 
became  imminent  Shouting  to  the  men  to  leave 
off  bailing  and  pull  for  life  for  the  shore,  he  threw 


452 


JN  TME  WILDS  Or  AFRICA. 


ofif  his  coat,  belt  and  shoes,  to  be  in  readiness  to 
swim  when  the  boat  should  capsize,  as  he  expected 
it  would.  A  wild  whirlpool  was  near  the  boat  and 
for  a  moment  it  seemed  certain  that  it  would  drift 
into  the  vortex.  But  by  a  strong  effort  it  was 
forced  away  and  they  pulled  for  shore.  By  the 
time  they  had  reached  it,  the  leaky  boat  was  half- 
full  of  water.  Finding  it  impossible  to  proceed  in 
it  he  returned  to  Mowwa  Falls,  and  after  a  short 
rest  took  a  canoe  and  tried  to  proceed.  But  while 
he  was  talking  with  Pocoke,  the  crew  had  scattered, 
and  as  those  who  had  gone  to  Zinga  had  not  re- 
turned, he  determined  to  go  overland  and  look 
after  the  goods,  and  leave  to  his  chief  captain, 
Manwa  Sera,  the  supervision  of  the  passage  of  the 
falls.  He  told  him  to  first  send  forward  a  reserve 
canoe  with  short  ropes  fastened  to  the  sides.  "The 
crew,''  he  said,  "will  pick  their  way  carefully  down 
the  river  until  near  the  falls,  then  let  the  men  judge 
for  themselves  whether  they  are  able  to  take  the 
canoe  farther.  Above  all  things  stick  to  the  shore 
and  do  not  play  with  the  river."  He  then  bade 
Pocoke  good-bye,  saying  he  would  send  him  his 
breakfast  immediately  with  hammock  bearers, 
shook  hands  and  turned  to  climb  the  mountain 
toward  the  camp. 

Sending  back  the  breakfast  as  he  had  promised, 
he  paid  a  visit  to  the  kings  of  Zinga.  Becoming 
anxious  about  the  boats,  as  this  was  the  first  time 
he  had  ever  permitted  any  one  but  himself  to  lead 


DROWNING  OF  POCOKE. 


453 


the  way  in  any  dangerous  part  of  the  river,  he 
about  three  o'clock  took  his  glass  and  gojng  to 
the  shore  began  to  look  up  the  river  that  came 
tearing  out  of  the  mountain  like  a  wild  animal  and 
shakinof  the  shores  with  its  loud  thunder.  Sud- 
denly  he  saw  something  black  tossing  amid  the 
turbulent  water.  Scanning  it  closely,  he  saw  it 
was  an  upturned  canoe  and  to  its  sides  several 
men  were  clinging.  He  instantly  dispatched  two 
chiefs  and  ten  men  to  a  bend  toward  which  the 
wreck  was  drifting.  The  crew,  however,  knowing 
there  was  another  cataract  just  below,  attempted 
to  right  the  boat  and  save  themselves  ;  but,  unable 
to  do  so,  got  on  the  keel  and  began  to  paddle  for 
dear  life  with  their  hands  toward  the  shore.  As 
they  got  near  the  far  bank,  he  saw  them  jump  off 
the  boat  and  swim  for  shore.  They  had  hardly 
reached  it  when  the  overturned  boat  shot  by  Stan- 
ley like  an  arrow  and  with  one  fierce  leap  dashed 
over  the  brink  of  the  cataract  and  disappeared  in 
the  foam  and  tumult  below.  In  a  few  minutes  a 
messenger  arrived  out  of  breath,  saying  that 
eleven  men  w^re  in  that  canoe,  only  eight  of  whom 
were  saved — the  other  three  being  drowned,  one 
of  whom  was  Pocoke.  Stanley  turned  fiercely  on 
Uledi,  his  coxswain,  and  demanded  how  he  came 
to  let  Pocoke,  a  lame  man,  go  in  the  rescue  canoe. 
"Ah,  master,''  he  replied,  ''we  could  not  help  it,  he 
would  not  wait  He  said,  '  since  the  canoe  is  go- 
ing to  camp  I  will  go  too.     I  am  hungry  and  cannot  * 


Jit' A  IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 

wait  any  longer.  I  cannot  walk  and  I  do  not  want 
you  to  carry  me,  that  the  natives  may  all  laugh  at 
me.  No,  I  will  go  with  you  ;'  and  refusing  to  listen 
to  Captain  Manwa  Sera,  who  remonstrated  with 
him,  he  got  in  and  told  us  to  cast  off.  We  found 
no  trouble  in  forcing  our  way  against  the  back 
current.  We  struck  the  down  current,  and  when 
we  were  near  the  fall  I  steered*  her  into  the  cove 
to  take  a  good  look  at  it  first.  When  I  had  climbed 
over  the  rocks  and  stood  over  it,  I  saw  that  it  was 
a  bad  place — that  it  was  useless  to  expect  any 
canoe  to  go  over  it  without  capsizing,  and  I  went 
to  the  little  master  and  told  him  so.  He  would 
not  believe  me,  but  sent  other  men  to  report  on  it. 
They  told  the  same  story  :  that  the  fall  could  not  be 
passed  by  shooting  over  it  in  a  canoe.  Then  he  said 
we  were  always  afraid  of  a  little  water  and  that  we 
were  no  men.  'All  right,'  I  said,  'if  you  say  cast  off  I 
am  ready.  I  am  not  afraid  of  any  water,  but  if  any- 
thing happens  my  master  will  be  angry  with  me.' 
*Cast  off,'  the  little  master  said,  '  nothing  will  hap- 
pen ;  am  I  not  here  ?'  You  could  not  have  counted 
ten,  master,  before  we  were  all  sorry.  The  cruel 
water  caught  us  and  tossed  and  whirled  us  about 
and  shot  us  here  and  shot  us  there,  and  the  noise 
was  fearful.  Suddenly  the  little  master  shouted 
*Look  out!  take  hold  of  the  ropes!  and  he  was 
tearing  his  shirt  off  when  the  canoe,  which  was 
whirling  round  and  round  with  its  bow  in  the  air, 
Was  dragged  down,  down,  down,  until  I  thought 


STANLE  Y  IN  GRIEF,  ^  ^  « 

my  chest  would  burst ;  then  we  were  shot  out  into 
daylight  again  and  took  some  breath.  The  little 
master  and  two  of  the  men  were  not  to  be  seen, 
but  soon  I  saw  the  little  master  with  his  face  up- 
ward but  insensible.  I  instantly  struck  out  for 
him  to  save  him,  but  we  were  both  taken  down 
again  and  the  water  seemed  to  be  tearing  my  legs 
away ;  but  I  would  not  give  in ;  I  held  my  breath 
hard  then  and  I  came  to  the  surface,  but  the  little 
master  was  gone  forever.  This  is  my  story,  mas- 
ter." Stanley  then  examined  the  men  separately, 
to  ascertain  if  it  were  true  and  found  it  was.  This 
man  was  brave  but  not  foolhardy,  and  the  best  and 
most  reliable  in  the  whole  party. 

Stanley  very  briefly  expressed  the  sadness  and 
loneliness  of  his  feelings  that  night  as  he  sat  and 
looked  on  the  empty  tent  of  young  Pocoke,  but  no 
language  can  express  the  utter  desolation  of  his 
situation.  His  position,  surroundings,  prospects, 
all  combined  to  spread  a  pall  black  as  midnight 
over  his  spirit  and  fill  his  heart  with  the  gloomiest 
forebodings.  Sitting  alone  in  the  heart  of  a 
country  never  before  trod  by  the  foot  of  a  white 
man,  on  the  banks  of  a  mysterious  river,  on  whose 
bosom  he  was  to  be  borne  he  knew  not  where, 
the  gloomy  forest  stretching  away  beyond  him, 
the  huts  of  strange  natives  behind  him.  the  water 
in  deep  shadows  rushing  by,  on  whose  foam  and 
whirlpools  his  friend  had  gone  dpwn,  and  whose 
body  then  lay  tossing  amid  the  broken  rocka,  the 


458 


IN  THE   WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


Strangely  silent  tropical  sky,  brilliant  with  stars, 
bending  over  him,  the  thoughts  of  home  and  friends 
far  away  caused  a  sad  and  solemn  gathering  of 
emotions  and  feelings  around  his  heart  till  they 
rushed  over  it  like  that  rushing  water,  and  made 
him  inconceivably  sad  there  in  the  depths  of  the 
forest.  With  no  one  to  talk  to  in  his  native  tongue, 
no  one   to   counsel  with,  without  one   friend  on 
whom  he  could  rely,  left  all  alone  to  meet  the  un- 
known future,  was  to  be  left  desolate  indeed.     Be- 
fore, he  knew  there  was  one  arm   on   which  he 
always  could  lean,  one    stout,  brave    heart  that 
would  stand  unflinchingly  by  his  side  in  the  dead- 
liest peril,  share  all  his  dangers,  and  go  cheerfully 
to  the  very  gates  of  death  with  him.     But  now  he 
was  alone,  with  none  but  natives  around  him,  with 
whom  he  must  meet  all  the  unknown  dangers  of 
the  untrodden  wilderness  before  him — perhaps  be 
buried  by  them  in  the  gloomy  forest  or  left  to  be 
devoured  by  cannibals.     It  was  enough  to  daunt 
the  bravest  spirit,  appall  the  stoutest  heart,  and 
that  lonely  night  on  the  banks  of  the  Lualaba  will 
live  in  Stanley's  memory  forever. 

Stanley  pronounced  a  high  eulogium  on  his 
young  friend,  saying  that  he  was  a  true  African 
explorer — he  seemed  to  like  the  dangers  and  even 
the  sufferings  of  the  expedition,  so  well  did  they 
harmonize  with  his  adventurous  spirit.  Quick  and 
resolute,  he  was  always  docile  and  in  the  heat  and 
excitement  of  battle  would  obey  Stanley's  slightest 


FOCOKE'^  CHARACTER.  ^rg 

Wish  with  alacrity.  He  seemed  fitted  for  an  ex- 
plorer; no  danger  daunted  him,  no  obstacle  dis- 
couraged him,  while  his  frame,  though  slight,  was 
tough  and  sinewy,  and  he  was  capable  of  under- 
going any  amount  of  labor  and  could  endure  the 
heaviest  strain.  He  had  so  endeared  him^f  to 
Stanley  that  the  latter  said,  in  a  letter  to  young 
Pocoke's  parents,  that  his  death  took  away  all  the 
joy  and  exultation  he  should  otherwise  have  felt 
in  accomplishing  the  great  task  the  two  had  under- 
taken together. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

THE   COMPLETED   WORK. 

THE  next  morning  Stanley  arose  with  a  sad 
and  heavy  heart;  the  cruel,  relentless  river 
seemed  more  remorseless  than  ever,  and 
its  waves  flowed  on  with  an  angrier  voice  that 
seemed  full  of  hate  and  defiance. 

Eighty  men  were  still  behind,  at  Mowwa,  and 
the  next  day  word  reached  Stanley  that  they  liad 
mutinied,  declaring  they  would  follow  the  river  no 
longer,  for  death  was  in  it.  He,  borne  down  with 
his  great  loss,  paid  no  attention  to  the  report,  and 
stayed  and  mourned  for  his  friend  for  three  days 
before  he  set  out  for  Mowwa.  He  found  the  men 
sullen,  sad  and  reckless.  It  would  be  strange, 
however,  if  he  could  not  regain  his  old  influence, 
which,  after  much  effort,  he  did.  But  he  did  not 
get  all  down  to  Zinga  till  after  four  days.  Mean- 
time Frank's  body  had  been  found  floating,  face 
upward,  some  distance  below  the  falls.  All  the 
canoes  did  not  reach  Zinga  till  the  19th,  more  than 
a  fortnight  after  Frank's  death. 

On  June  20th  Stanley  began  to  make  prepara- 
tions to  continue  on  down  the  river.  There  had 
been  terribly  hard  work  in  passing  and  getting 
round  the  falls  where  Frank  lost  his  life,  but  the 

460 


INCIPIENT  MUTINY. 


461 


worst  of  it  was,  when  they  had  succeeded,  they 
seemed  to  have  just  begun  their  labors,  for  it  had 
all  to  be  repeated  again.  The  men  had  lost  all 
spirit  and  did  not  seem  to  care  what  became  of 
them;  and  so,  when  on  the  20th  Stanley  ordered 
the  men  to  their  work  to  lay  brushwood  along  the 
tracks  marked  out  for  hauling  the  canoes  from  the 
Pocoke  basin  around  Zinga  point  into  the  basin 
beyond,  the  men  seemed  disinclined  to  move. 
Stanley,  in  surprise,  asked  what  was  the  matter, 
"We  are  tired  of  this/*  growled  a  burly  fellow, 
"  and  that's  what's  the  matter.*' 

Stanley  soon  discovered  that  he  was  not  alone 
in  his  opinion,  and  though  once  he  would  have 
quelled  this  spirit  of  rebellion  with  prompt,  deter- 
mined action,  he  did  not  feel  like  using  harsh 
measures  now,  or  even  harsh  language.  He  knew 
he  had  tasked  them  to  the  uttermost — that  they 
had  followed  his  bidding  unquestioned  so  far  as  he 
ought  to  ask  them,  and  so  he  called  them  together 
to  talk  with  them  and  give  them  an  opportunity 
frankly  to  tell  their  grievances.  But  they  had 
nothing  to  say,  except  that  they  had  gone  far 
enough  and  did  not  mean  to  make  another  effort. 
Death  and  famine  awaited  them,  and  they  might 
as  well  give  up  first  as  last.  Stanley  did  not  at- 
tempt even  to  appeal  to  them,  except  indirectly. 
He  simply  told  them  that  he  too  was  hungry,  and 
could  have  had  meat,  but  saved  it  for  them.  He 
too  was  weary  and  sad.     They  might  leave  him  if 


462 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 


they  chose — he  had  his  boat  still,  and  if  he  was 
left  alone  he  had  but  to  step  into  it — the  falls  were 
near,  and  he  would  soon  be  at  rest  with  his  friend. 
It  is  most  pitiful  and  sad  to  see  how  the  indomit- 
able will  of  this  strong  man  had  given  way.  The 
bold  and  confident  manner  with  which  he  set  out 
from  Nyangwe — the  healthy,  cheery  tone  in  which 
he  addressed  them  when  bowed  down  with  grief 
at  the  farewell  song  of  Tipo-tipo's  Arabs  are  gone, 
and  in  their  place  had  come  a  great  weariness  and 
despair.  To  see  such  a  strong  man  forced  at  last 
to  yield,  awakens  the  deepest  sympathy.  No 
wonder  he  was  weary  of  life,  and  longed  to  die. 
Under  his  terrible  mental  and  physical  strain  of 
the  last  six  months  the  toughest  nature  must  give 
way,  while  to  this  was  added  the  feebleness  that 
comes  from  want  of  food  and  the  utterly  dreary, 
hopeless  prospect  before  him.  As  he  stood  amid 
his  dusky  followers,  his  once  sinewy  frame  looked 
lean  and  languid,  and  his  voice  had  a  weary, 
despairing  tone.  The  star  of  fame  that  had  led 
him  on  was  gone  down,  and  life  itself  had  lost  all 
its  brightness,  and  when  he  had  done  speaking  he 
turned  away  indifferent  as  to  the  future.  The 
men  listened,  but  their  hungry,  despairing  hearts 
felt  no  sympathy.  They  too  had  reached  the  point 
of  indifference  as  to  the  future,  except  they  would 
no  longer  cling  to  that  cruel  river,  and  thirty-one 
packed  their  baggage  and  filed  away  up  the  ascent 
and  were  soon  lost  to  view.     When  it  was  told  to 


IN  DESPAIR, 


463 


Stanley,  he  inquired  how  many  had  gone.  Learn- 
ing that  only  thirty-one  had  left,  and  that  the  rest 
would  stand  by  him  to  the  last,  he  roused  himself, 
and  unwilling  that  the  faithful  should  perish 
through  the  disaffection  of  a  few  men  he  sent 
messengers  after  the  deserters  to  plead  with  them 
to  come  back.  They  overtook  them  five  miles 
away  and  urged  them  to  return,  but  in  vain.  Set- 
ting the  faithful  to  work,  he  dispatched  two  men 
to  cut  off  the  fugitives  and  to  tell  the  chiefs  not 
to  let  them  pass  through  their  territory.  They 
obeyed  and  beat  the  war-drum,  which  so  terrified 
the  wanderers  that  they  were  glad  to  return.  It 
would  seem  strange  that  men  who  have  been  ac- 
customed to  obey  him  implicitly  for  nearly  three 
years,  and  had  stood  by  him  so  staunchly  in  many 
a  fight  and  through  countless  perils,  could  so  easily 
desert  him  now.  But  despair  will  make  even  a 
wise  man  mad,  and  these  poor  creatures  had  got 
into  that  hopeless  condition  which  makes  all  men 
reckless.  Starting  off  with  no  definite  aim  in 
view,  no  point  to  travel  toward,  shows  how  despe- 
rate they  had  become.  No  wonder  they  saw  no 
hope  in  clinging  to  the  river,  for  they  had  now 
been  over  a  month  going  three  miles,  and  it 
seemed  worse  than  useless  to  attempt  to  push 
further  in  that  direction. 

On  the  23d  of  June,  the  work  of  hauling  out 
the  canoes  to  take  them  over  a  hill  two  hundred 
feet  high  was  commenced,  and  by  noon  three  were 


464  ^^  ^^^  WILDS  OF  AFHrCA. 

safely  on  the  summit.  Nexi  came  the  Livingstones 
which  had  been  recently  made.  It  weighed  some 
three  tons,  yet,  with  the  aid  of  a  hundred  and  fifty 
natives,  they  had  succeeded  in  getting  it  twenty 
feet  up  the  bank,  when  the  cables  parted  and  it 
shot  swiftly  back  into  the  river.  The  chief  carpen- 
ter clung  to  it,  and  being  carried  beyond  his  depth, 
climbed  into  it.  He  was  only  a  short  distance 
above  the  falls  when  the  brave  Uledi,  seeing  his 
peril,  plunged  into  the  river  and  swimming  to  the 
boat,  called  out  to  him  to  leap  overboard  instantly. 
The  poor  wretch  replied  that  he  could  not  swim. 
"Jump,''  shouted  Uledi,  "  you  are  drifting  toward 
the  cataract.''  The  terrified  creature,  as  he  cow- 
ered in  the  canoe,  faltered  out,  "  I  am  afraid  to." 
"Well,  then,"  said  Uledi,  "  you  are  lost — brother, 
good-bye,"  and  struck  out  with  all  his  might  for 
the  shore.  A  minute's  longer  delay,  and  he,  too, 
would  have  been  lost,  for,  though  a  strong  swim- 
mer, he  was  able,  only  by  the  most  desperate  effort, 
to  reach  shore  less  than  sixty  feet  from  the  brink 
of  the  falls.  The  next  minute  the  canoe  was 
shooting  over  them  into  the  boiling  cauldron  be- 
low. Tossed  up  and  down  and  whirled  about,  it 
finally  went  down  and  was  seen  no  more. 

The  next  day  the  other  boats  were  hauled  up 
and  then  the  process  of  letting  them  down  com- 
menced. This  was  done  in  safety,  when  the  goods 
were  sent  overland  to  the  Mbelo  Falls  beyond, 
while  the  boats  should  attempt  to  run  the  rapids 


A  PERILOUS  MOMENT, 


46: 


There  was  no  abrupt  descent,  but  a  wild  waste  of 
tumbling,  roaring  water  dashing  against  the  cliffs 
and  rocks  in  reckless  fury.  Stanley  resolved  to 
try  them  before  risking  his  men,  and  embarking 
in  the  Lady  Alice,  with  men  on  shore  holding  ca- 
bles attached  to  bow  and  stern,  he  drifted  slowly 
downward  amid  the  rocks.  The  little  boat  seemed 
a  mere  toy  amid  the  awful  surroundings  in  which 
it  floated,  and  Stanley  realized  as  it  rocked  beneath 
him  what  a  helpless  thing  it  would  be  in  the  wild 
and  turbulent  midstream.  Just  as  he  reached  the 
most  dangerous  point,  one  of  the  cables  parted. 
The  boat  swung  to,  when  the  other  snapped  asun- 
der and  the  frightened  thing  was  borne  like  a 
bubble  into  the  boiling  surge  and  carried  down- 
ward like  an  arrow.  Down,  down,  between  the 
frowning  precipices,  now  barely  escaping  a  huge 
rock  and  now  lifted  like  a  feather  on  the  top  of  a 
wave  it  swept  on,  apparently  to  certain  destruc- 
tion. But  death  had  lost  all  its  terrors  to  these 
hard-hunted  men,  and  the  six  in  the  boat  sat  rev 
signed  to  their  fate.  The  brave  Uledi,  however, 
kept  his  hand  on  the  helm  and  his  steady  eye  on 
the  hell  of  waters  around  and  before  them. 
Sometimes  caught  in  a  whirlpool  that  tossed  them 
around  and  around,  and  then  springing  like  a  pan- 
ther down  a  steep  incline,  the  boat  continued  to 
plunge  on  its  mad  course  with  death  on  every  side, 
until  at  last  it  shot  into  the  Niguru  basin,  when 
they  rowed  to  the  sandy  beach  of  Kilanga.  Here, 
30 


466 


m  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRIOA. 


amid  the  rocks,  they  found  the  broken  boat  in 
which  Pocoke  went  down,  and  the  body  of  one  of 
the  men  who  was  drowned  with  him  jammed 
among  the  fragments. 

Stanley  looked  back  on  this  perilous  ride  with 
strange  feelings.  It  seemed  as  if  fate,  while  try- 
ing him  to  the  utmost,  was  determined  he  should 
not  perish,  but  that  he  should  fulfill  the  great  mis- 
sion he  had  undertaken.  H's  people  seemed  to 
think  so  too,  for  when  they  saw  his  boat  break 
adrift  and  launch  into  the  boiling  rapids  they  gave 
him  up  for  lost ;  but  when  they  caught  sight  of 
him  coming  toward  them  alive  and  well,  they  gave 
way  to  extravagant  joy  and  exclaimed,  *'  it  is  the 
hand  of  God — we  shall  reach  the  sea."  The  escape 
was  so  wonderful,  almost  miraculous,  that  they 
could  not  but  believe  that  God  had  spared  him  to 
save  them  all. 

They  now  pushed  on  with  little  trouble  to 
Mpakambendi,  the  terminus  of  the  chasm  ninety- 
three  miles  long,  in  which  they  had  been  struggling 
a  hundred  and  seventeen  days.  This  simple  state- 
ment conveys  very  little  to  the  ear,  yet  what  fear- 
ful shapes  does  it  conjure  up  to  the  imagination ! 
Ninety-three  miles  of  rapids  and  cataracts,  with  only 
here  and  there  a  stretch  of  smooth  water!  A  mile 
and  a  quarter  a  day  was  all  the  progress  they  had 
made  now  for  nearly  four  months.  No  wonder 
the  poor  Arabs  gave  up  in  despair  and  refused  any 
longer  to  follow  the  river. 


BRIGHTENING  PROSPECTS. 


469 


Although  below  the  chasm  the  stream  did  not 
flow  with  that  placidity  it  did  through  the  cannibal 
region,  still  it  did  not  present  any  dangerous 
rapids,  as  they  glided  on  toward  the  sea  with  new 
hopes.  The  natives  along  the  banks  were  friendly, 
though  difficulties  were  constantly  arising  ifrom  the 
thieving  propensities  of  the  Arabs.  Two  were 
seized  by  the  natives,  and  Stanley  had  nearly  to 
bankrupt  himself  to  redeem  them,  on  which  he 
gave  the  men  a  talk  and  told  them  plainly  that 
this  was  positively  the  last  time  he  would  redeem 
a  single  prisoner  seized  for  theft,  nor  would  he 
resort  to  force  to  rescue  him. 

It  was  now  the  7th  day  of  July,  and  although 
hope  had  revived  in  the  hearts  of  the  people,  some 
of  the  sick  felt  that  they  should  never  see  their 
native  island  again.  Two  died  this  day  and  were 
buried  on  the  banks  of  the  river  whose  course  they 
had  followed  so  long.  They  now  had  clear,  though 
not  smooth  sailing  for  some  nine  or  ten  miles, 
when  they  came  to  another  fall.  This  was  passed 
in  safety,  with  the  assistance  of  the  natives,  who 
assembled  in  great  numbers  and  volunteered  their 
services,  for  which  they  were  liberally  rewarded. 
More  or  less  broken  water  was  experienced,  but 
not  bad  enough  to  arrest  the  progress  of  the  boats. 
Provisions  were  getting  scarce,  and  consequently 
the  thieving  propensity  of  the  Arabs  to  obtain  them 
more  actively  exhibited  itself,  and  one  man,  caught 
while  digging  up  roots  in  a  garden,  was  held  as  a 


.  ^Q  IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

prisoner.  The  men  asked  his  release,  but  Stanley, 
finding  that  the  price  which  the  natives  asked  for 
his  redemption  was  far  greater  than  his  means  to 
pay,  would  not  interfere  and  the  man  was  left  to 
live  and  die  in  perpetual  slavery.  But  this  did 
not  stop  thieving,  and  soon  another  man  was 
caught  in  the  act  and  made  prisoner.  This  case 
was  submitted  to  the  chiefs,  and  their  decision  was 
to  let  him  remain  in  slavery.  But  the  men  were 
starving,  and  even  this  terrible  exhibition  of  the 
doom  that  awaited  them  was  not  sufficient  to  deter 
the  men  from  stealing  food.  The  demands  of  the 
stomach  overrode  all  fears  of  punishment,  and  three 
or  four  days  after  another  man  was  detected  and 
made  a  prisoner.  He,  too,  was  left  a  slave  in  the 
hands  of  the  natives.  Dangerous  rapids  were  now 
and  then  encountered,  but  they  were  passed  without 
accident,  and  Stanley  at  last  found  that  he  was 
close  to  the  sea.  He  announced  the  fact  to  his 
people,  who  were  intensely  excited  at  the  news. 
One  man,  a  boatman,  went  crazy  over  it,  and, 
shouting  "we  have  reached  the  sea,  we  are  at 
home/'  rushed  into  the  woods  and  was  never  seen 
again.  The  poor  wretch,  probably,  lay  down  at 
last  in  the  forest,  with  the  groves  of  Zanzibar,  in 
imagination,  just  ahead  of  him.  Sweeping  down- 
ward, frequent  rapids  occurred,  but  the  expedition 
kept  on  until  it  reached  the  district  of  Kilolo. 

Stanley  here  lay  down  weary  and  hungry,  but 
was  aroused  by  musket-shots.     His  people,  starv- 


CAFTURED  FOR  STEALING, 


47  i 


ing  and  desperate,  had  scattered  about,  entering 
every  garden  they  saw  to  get  something  to  eat, 
and  the  natives  had  attacked  them.  Soon  wounded 
men  were  brought  in,  whom  the  natives  had  shot. 
Several  had  been  captured  whom  Stanley  refused 
to  redeem,  and  they  were  left  to  pine  in  endless 
captivity,  never  again  to  see  the  hills  of  Zanzibar, 
as  he  over  and  over  again  had  promised  they 
should. 

Changing  from  bank  to  bank,  as  the  character 
of  the  river  changed,  the  expedition,  on  the  30th 
of  July,  heard  in  advance  the  roar  of  the  cataract 
of  Isingila.  Here  Stanley  ascertained  that  they 
were  but  five  days'  journey  from  Embomma,  a  dis- 
tance always  traveled  by  land  by  the  natives,  on 
account  of  the  obstructions  in  the  river. 

As  the  whole  object  of  the  expedition  had  been 
accomplished,  and  the  short  distance  beyond  these 
falls  to  the  sea  was  known  to  Europeans,  he  re- 
solved to  leave  the  river  and  march  by  land  to 
Embomma.  At  sunset  the  Lady  Alice  was  drawn 
out  of  the  water  to  the  top  of  some  rocks  and 
abandoned  forever.  To  Stanley  it  was  like  leav- 
ing a  friend  behind.  The  boat  had  been  his  com- 
panion for  nearly  three  years.  It  had  carried  him 
over  the  waters  of  the  lakes,  dashed  at  his  bidding 
among  hostile  canoes,  rocked  him  to  sleep  amid 
the  storms,  borne  him  all  safely  over  foaming 
cataracts,  and  now  it  must  be  left  ignobly  to  rot  in 
the  wilds  of  Africa.     As  he  turned  to  cast  a  last 


472 


AV  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


farewell  glance  on  it  resting  mournfully  on  the 
rocks,  the  poor  boat  had  almost  a  human  look,  as 
if  it  knew  it  was  to  be  left  behind  and  abandoned 
forever. 

On  the  1st  of  August,  the  famished,  weary 
column  took  up  its  line  of  march  towards  the  sea 
— the  mothers  carrying  infants  that  had  been  born 
amid  the  cataracts,  and  the  larger  children  trudg- 
ing slowly  after.  Nearly  forty  of  the  one  hundred 
and  fifteen  were  sick,  and  though  it  was  painful  to 
travel,  they  were  cheered  by  the  proipise  that  in 
four  or  five  days  they  should  once  more  look  on 
the  sea,  towards  which  their  longing  hearts  had 
been  turned  for  so  many  weary  months.  Coming 
to  a  village,  the  king  stopped  them  and  told  them 
they  could  not  pass  without  they  gave  him  a  bottle 
of  rum.  Uledi,  hastening  up,  asked  Stanley  what 
the  old  man  wanted.  "Rum,"  he  replied.  Hitting 
him  a  severe  slap  in  the  face,  ''  there  is  rum  for 
him,"  growled  Uledi,  as  the  drunken  negro  tumbled 
over.  The  latter  picked  himself  up  and  hurried 
away,  and  Stanley  and  his  worn  and  wasted  band 
passed  on  without  further  molestation.  It  was 
hard  to  get  food,  for  one  party  would  demand  rum 
and  refuse  to  furnish  it  without,  while  another 
wanted  them  to  wait  till  the  next  market-day. 

On  the  third  day  they  reached  Nsanda,  the  king 
of  which  told  Stanley  it  was  but  three  days'  march 
to  the  sea.  The  latter  asked  him  if  he  would 
carry  a  letter  to  Embomma  for  him.     He  replied 


IVORD  TO  THE  OUTSIDE   WOULD, 


473 


no,  but  after  four  hours  of  hard  urging  he  agreed 
to  furnish  guides  for  three  of  Stanley's  men. 

The  next  day  they  set  out,  carrying  the  follow- 
ing letter : — ^' 

Village  Nsanda,  August  4th,  1877. 
Fo  any  gentleman  who  speaks  English  at  Embomma : 

Dear  Sir:  I  have  arrived  at  this  place  from 
Zanzibar  with  one  hundred  and  fifteen  souls,  men, 
women  and  children.  We  are  now  in  a  state  of 
imminent  starvation.  We  can  buy  nothing  from 
the  natives,  for  they  laugh  at  our  kinds  of  cloth, 
beads  and  wire.  There  are  no  provisions  in  the 
country  that  may  be  purchased  except  on  market- 
days,  and  starving  people  cannot  afford  to  wait  for 
these  markets.  I  therefore  have  made  bold  to 
dispatch  three  of  my  young  men,  natives  of  Zan- 
zibar, with  a  boy  named  Robert  Ferugi  of  the 
English  mission  at  Zanzibar,  with  this  letter,  crav- 
ing rehef  from  you.  I  do  not  know  you,  but  I  am 
told  there  is  an  Englishman  at  Embomma,  and  as 
you  are  a  Christian  and  a  gentleman,  I  beg  of  you 
not  to  disregard  my  request.  The  boy  Robert 
will  be  better  able  to  describe  our  condition  than  I 
can  tell  you  in  a  letter.  We  are  in  a  state  of  the 
greatest  distress,  but,  if  your  supplies  arrive  in 
time,  I  may  be  able  to  reach  Embomma  in  four 
days.  I  want  three  hundred  cloths,  each  four 
yards  long,  of  such  quality  as  you  trade  with,  which 
is  very  different  from  that  we  have;  but  better  than 
tU  would  be  ten  or  fifteen  man-loads  of  rice  or 


474 


m  THE   WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 


grain  to  fill  their  pinched  bellies  immediately,  as 
even  with  the  cloths  it  would  require  time  to  pur- 
chase food,  and  starving  men  cannot  wait.  The 
supplies  must  arrive  within  two  days,  or  I  may 
have  a  fearful  time  of  it  among  the  dying.  Of 
course  I  hold  myself  responsible  for  any  expense 
you  may  incur  in  this  business.  What  is  wanted 
is  immediate  relief,  and  I  pray  you  to  use  your 
utmost  energies  to  forward  it  at  once.  For 
myself  if  you  have  such  little  luxuries  as  tea, 
coffee,  sugar  and  biscuits  by  you,  such  as  one  man 
can  easily  carry,  I  beg  you,  on  my  own  behalf,  that 
you  will  send  a  small  supply,  and  add  to  the  great 
debt  of  gratitude  due  to  you  upon  the  timely 
arrival  of  supplies  for  my  people.  Until  that 
time,  I  beg  you  to  believe  me, 

Yours,  sincerely, 

H.  M.  Stanley, 
Commanding  Anglo-American  Expedition, 

for  Exploration  of  Africa, 

P.  S. — You  may  not  know  my  name ;  I  therefore 
add,  I  am  the  person  that  discovered  Livingstone. 

H.  M.  S. 

After  writing  this  letter,  Stanley  called  his  chiefs 
and  boat's  crew  to  his  tent  and  told  them  of  his 
purpose  to  send  a  letter  to  Embomma  for  relief, 
and  wanted  to  know  which  were  the  most  reliable 
men — would  travel  fastest  and  least  likely  to  be 
arrested  or  turned  back  by  obstacles.     The  ever- 


A  STARVING  COMPANY. 


475 


ready  Uledi  sprang  to  his  feet  and  exclaimed,  as 
he  tightened  his  belt,  "O  master,  I  am  ready  now!'' 
The  other  volunteers  responded  as  quickly,  and 
the  next  day,  the  guides  appearing,  they  started 
off.  In  the  meantime,  the  expedition  resumed  its 
slow  march,  having  eaten  nothing  but  a  few  nuts 
to  stay  their  stomachs.  Coming  to  a  village,  the 
chief  demanded  payment  for  passing  through  his 
country,  and  armed  his  followers;  but  on  Stanley 
threatening  to  destroy  every  man  in  the  place,  his 
rage  subsided,  he  shook  hands,  and  peace  was 
made  and  sealed  by  a  drink  of  palm  wine  and  the 
promise  of  a  bottle  of  rum. 

In  the  meanwhile,  Uledi  and  his  companions 
pressed  swifdy  on,  but  when  about  halfway  the 
guides,  becoming  frightened,  deserted  them.  Un- 
able to  obtain  others,  they  resolved  to  follow  the 
Congo.  All  day  long  they  pressed  steadily  for- 
ward, and,  just  after  sunset,  reached  Boma,  to 
which  the  name  Embomma  had  been  changed, 
and  delivered  the  letter.  The  poor  fellows  had 
not  tasted  food  for  thirty  hours,  and  were  well- 
nigh  famished.  They  soon  had  abundance,  and 
the  next  morning  (August  6th),  while  Stanley  was 
leading  on  his  bloated,  haggard,  half-starved,  stag- 
gering men,  women  and  children,  Uledi  started 
back  with  carriers  loaded  down  with  provisions. 

At  nine  o'clock,  the  expedition  had  to  stop  and 
rest  While  they  lay  scattered  about  on  the  green 
fiward,   suddenly  an  Arab   boy  shouted,  "I  see 


476 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


Uledi  coming  down  the  hill!*'  and  sure  enough 
there  were  Uledi  and  Kacheche  leaping  (k)wn  the 
slope  and  waving  their  arms  in  the  air.  "La  il 
Allah,  il  Allah!'*  went  up  in  one  wild  shout — "we 
are  saved,  thank  God!*'  Uledi  had  brought  a 
letter  to  Stanley,  who  had  scarcely  finished  read- 
ing it  when  the  carriers  appeared  in  sight  laden 
with  provisions.  The  sick  and  lame  struggled  to 
their  feet  and,  with  the  others,  pressed  around 
them.  While  Stanley  was  distributing  them,  one 
of  the  boat-boys  struck  up  a  triumphant  song, 
that  echoed  far  over  the  plain.  They  then  set  to 
and  ate  as  only  starving  men  can  eat. 

When  all  were  supplied,  Stanley  turned  to  his 
tent,  to  open  the  private  packages  sent  to  him. 
Heavens!  what  a  vision  met  his  astonished  sight! 
A  few  hours  before,  he  had  made  his  breakfast 
on  a  few  green  bananas  and  peanuts,  washed  with 
a  cup  of  muddy  water,  and  now  before  him  were 
piled  champagne,  port  and  sherry  wines,  and  ale, 
and  bread  and  butter,  and  tea,  and  sugar,  and 
plum-pudding,  and  various  kinds  of  jam — in  short, 
enough  luxuries  to  supply  half  a  regiment.  How 
Stanley  felt  that  night  as  he  looked  on  his  happy, 
contented  followers,  may  be  gathered  from  the 
following  extract  from  a  letter  he  sent  back  next 
day  to  his  kind-hearted  deliverers.  Afte/  ac- 
knowledging the  reception  of  the  bountiful  sup- 
plies, he  says: 

•'Dear  Sirs — ^Though  strangers  I  feel  we  ihall 


eR££  TED  B  Y  FRIENDS, 


477 


be  great  friends,  and  it  will  be  the  study  of  my 
lifetime  to  remember  my  feelings  of  gratefulness 
when  I  first  caught  sight  of  your  supplies,  and  my 
poor  faithful  and  brave  people  cried  out,  *  Master, 
we  are  saved — food  is  coming ! '  The  old  and  the 
young  men,  the  women  and  the  children  lifted 
their  wearied  and  worn-out  frames  and  began 
lustily  to  chant  an  extemporaneous  song  in  honor 
of  the  white  people  by  the  great  salt  sea  (the 
Atlantic),  who  had  listened  to  their  prayers.  I 
had  to  rush  to  my  tent  to  hide  the  tears  that  would 
come,  despite  all  my  attempts  at  composure. 

"  Gentlemen,  that  the  blessing  of  God  may  attend 
your  footsteps,  whithersoever  you  go,  is  the  very 
earnest  prayer  of 

"Yours  faithfully, 

"Henry  M.  Stanley." 

That  day  was  given  up  to  feasting  and  rejoicing, 
and  the  next  morning — a  very  different  set  of  men 
■ — they  started  forward.  All  this  and  the  next  day 
they  marched  cheerfully  over  the  rolling  country, 
and  on  the  third,  while  slowly  descending  a  hill, 
they  saw  a  string  of  hammocks  approaching,  and 
soon  Stanley  stood  face  to  face  with  four  white 
men,  and  so  long  had  he  been  shut  up  in  a  country 
of  blacks  that  they  impressed  him  strangely. 
After  some  time  spent  in  conversation  they  in- 
sisted on  his  getting  into  a  hammock,  and  borne 
by  eight  staut  bearers  he  was  carried  into  Boma, 


478 


IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 


where  rest  and  abundance  awaited  him.  He  stayed 
in  this  village  of  a  hundred  huts  only  one  day  and 
then  embarked  on  a  steamer  for  the  mouth  of  the* 
river,  a  hundred  or  more  miles  away.  Turning 
northward  he  reached  Kabinda,  where  one  of  the 
expedition  died.  The  reaction  on  these  poor  crea- 
tures after  their  long  and  desperate  struggle  was 
great,  and  they  fell  back  into  a  sort  of  stupor. 
Stanley  himself  felt  its  influence  and  would  fall 
asleep  while  eating.  The  sense  of  responsibility, 
however,  aroused  him  and  he  attempted  in  turn  to 
arouse  his  men.  But,  notwithstanding  all  his 
efforts,  four  died  of  this  malady  without  a  name 
after  he  reached  Loanda,  and  three  more  after- 
wards "  on  board  the  vessel  that  carried  them  to 
Cape  Town. 

Stanley  gave  his  poor  followers  eight  days'  rest 
at  Kabinda  and  then  in  a  Portuguese  vessel  pro- 
ceeded to  Loanda.  Here  the  governor-general 
offered  to  send  him  in  a  gun-boat  to  Lisbon.  This 
generous  offer  was  very  tempting,  and  many  would 
have  accepted  it,  but  Stanley  would  not  leave  his 
Arab  friends  who  had  shared  his  toils  and  hardships, 
and  shown  an  unbounded  trust  in  his  promise  to  see 
them  back  to  Zanzibar.  A  passage  being  offered 
them  in  the  British  ship  Industry,  to  Cape  Town, 
Stanley  accepted  it,  and,  instead  of  going  home 
where  comfort  and  fame  awaited  him,  turned  south- 
ward with  his  Arab  followers.  At  Cape  Town  he 
was  received  with  every  mark  of  distinction,  and 


APPROACHING  ZANZIBAR.  a*^^ 

delivered  a  lecture  there  giving  a  brief  account  of 
the  expedition,  especially  that  part  of  it  relating  to 
the  Congo.  A  British  vessel  here  was  placed  at 
his  disposal,  and  while  she  was  refitting  Stanley 
gave  his  astonished  Arabs  a  ride  on  a  railroad,  on 
which  they  where  whirled  along  at  the  rate  of 
thirty  miles  an  hour.  Of  all  the  wonders  they  had 
seen  since  they  left  Zanzibar,  nearly  three  years 
before,  this  was  the  greatest.  Entertainments 
were  prepared  for  them,  suitable  garments  for  that 
cold  latitude  provided,  till  these  poor,  simple 
children  of  nature  were  made  dizzy  by  the  atten- 
tions they  received.  Among  other  things  a  special 
evening  was  set  apart  for  them  In  the  theatre,  and 
they  were  thrown  Into  raptures  at  the  performance 
of  the  acrobats  and  made  the  building  ring  with 
their  wild  Arab  shouts  of  approval. 

At  length,  on  the  6th  of  November,  nearly  two 
months  from  the  time  they  reached  the  Atlantic 
coast,  they  set  sail  for  Zanzibar.  Stopping  for  two 
days  at  Natal  to  coal,  where  every  possible  atten- 
tion was  lavished  on  them,  they  again  put  to  sea 
and  stretched  northward  through  the  Indian 
Ocean. 

Day  after  day  these  now  contented  people  lay 
around  on  deck,  drinking  in  health  from  the  salt 
sea  air.  All  but  one  was  shaking  off  every  form 
of  disease  contracted  In  their  long  wanderings. 
This  one  was  a  woman  who  was  slowly  dying,  and 
who  was  kept  alive  alone  by  the  thought  of  seeing 


48o 


m  THE  WILDS  OF  AFJilCA. 


her  home  once  more.  At  last  the  hills  of  ZanzL 
bar  arose  over  the  sea,  and  as  these  untutored 
Arabs  traced  their  well-known  outline,  their  joy 
was  unbounded,  and  Stanley  felt  repaid  for  the 
self-denial  that  had  refused  a  passage  home  from 
Loanda  to  stay  by  his  faithful  followers  to  the  very 
last.  Their  excitement  increased  as  the  caves  and 
inlets  grew  more  distinct,  and  at  last  the  cocoanut 
and  mangrove-trees  became  visible.  As  the  vessel 
entered  port  their  impatience  could  not  be  re- 
strained, and  the  captain  of  the  vessel,  sympa- 
thizing with  their  feelings,  had  no  sooner  dropped 
anchor  than  he  manned  the  boats,  while  the  eager 
creatures  crowded  the  gangway  and  ladder,  each 
struggling  to  be  the  first  to  set  foot  on  their  native 
island.  As  boat-load  after  boat-load  reached  the 
shore,  with  a  common  feeling  they  knelt  on  the 
beach  and  cried  "Allah!''  and  offered  up  their 
humble  thanksgiving  to  God,  who  had  brought 
them  safely  back  to  their  homes. 

The  news  of  their  arrival  spread  like  wild-fire 
on  every  side,  and  soon  their  relatives  and  friends 
came  flocking  in  from  all  directions,  and  glad  shouts, 
and  wild  embracings,  and  floods  of  glad  tears 
made  a  scene  that  stirred  Stanley's  heart  to  its 
profoundest  depths.  Still,  there  was  a  dark  side 
to  the  picture.  Scores  of  those  that  came  rushing 
forward  to  greet  them,  fell  back  shedding  tears, 
not  of  gladness,  but  of  sorrow,  for  they  found  not 
those  whom  they  fondly  hoped  to  meet.     Of  the 


HOME  AGAIN! 


481 


three  hundred  that  had  set  out,  nearly  thee  years 
before,  only  one  hundred  and  twelve  were  left — 
and  one  of  these,  the  poor  sick  woman,  lived 
only  long  enough  to  be  clasped  in  her  father's 
arms,  when  she  died. 

The  great  journey  was  ended,  and  Stanley,  after 
paying  off  the  living  and  the  relatives  of  the  dead, 
at  last  started  for  home.  As  he  was  about  to 
enter  the  boat  that  was  to  bear  him  to  the  ship, 
the  brave  Uledi  and  the  chiefs  shoved  it  from  shore, 
and  seizing  Stanley,  bore  him  through  the  surf  on 
their  shoulders.  And  when  the  latter  stood  on  the 
deck,  as  the  vessel  slowly  steamed  away,  the  last 
object  he  saw  on  shore  through  his  eyes  filled 
with  tears,  was  his  Arab  friends  watching  him  till 
he  should  disappear  from  sight. 

An  enthusiastic  reception  awaited  him  in  Eng- 
land, while  from  every  part  of  the  continent  dis- 
tinguished honors  were  bestowed  upon  him. 

He  had  performed  one  of  the  most  daring 
marches  on  record — traced  out,  foot  by  foot,  one  of 
the  largest  lakes  of  Central  Africa,  followed  its 
mightiest  river,  which,  from  the  creation,  had  been 
wrapped  in  mystery,  from  its  source  to  its  mouth, 
and  made  a  new  map  of  the  "  dark  continent, " 

Among  the  testimonials  of  the  estimation  in 
which  the  great  work  he  had  accomplished  was 
held,  may  be  mentioned  the  gift  of  the  portrait  of 
King  Humbert  of  Italy,  by  himself,  with  the  su* 
perscription : 
31 


,^2  ^^  ^^^   WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 

"ALL*    INTREPEDO    VIAGGATORE, 
ENRICO    STANLEY. 

UMBERTO  RE. 
TO   THE    INTREPID    TRAVELER, 
HENRY    STANLEY. 

KING    HUMBERT." 

The  Prince  of  Wales  also  complimented  him 
warmly  on  his  achievements,  while  the  Khedive  of 
Egypt  conferred  on  him  the  high  distinction  of  the 
Grand  Commandership  of  the  Order  of  Medji- 
die,  with  the  star  and  collar.  The  Royal  Geo- 
graphical Society,  ot  London,  gave  him  a  public 
reception,  and  made  him  Honorary  Correspond- 
ing Member,  and  the  Geographical  Societies  and 
Chambers  of  Commerce  of  Paris,  Italy  and  Mar- 
seilles sent  him  medals.  He  was  also  made 
Honorary  Member  of  the  Geographical  Societies 
of  Antwerp,  Berlin,  Bordeaux,  Bremen,  Hamburg, 
Lyons,  Marseilles,  Montpelier,  Vienna,  etc.,  etc. 
Honorary  membership  of  almost  every  distin- 
guished, society  in  England  and  on  the  continent 
were  conferred  on  him,  and  all  seemed  to  vie 
with  each  other  in  heaping  honors  on  the  most 
intrepid  traveler  of  modern  times. 

As  Americans,  however,  it  gives  us  great  plea- 
sure to  record  the  following  sentiment,  showing 
that  Stanley  takes  especial  pride  in  being  an 
American.  He  says  :  "  For  another  honor  I  have 
to  express  my  thanks — one  which  I  may  be  par- 


STANLEY'S  CROWNING  HONOR. 


483 


doned  for  regarding  as  more  precious  than  all  the 
rest.  The  Government  of  the  United  States  has 
crowned  my  success  with  its  official  approval,  and 
the  unanimous  vote  of  thanks  passed  in  both 
houses  of  legislature,  has  made  me  proud  for  life 
of  the  expedition  and  its  success/' 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

THE    FRUITS   OF   VICTORY. 

AFTER  Victory,  the  fruits  of  victory ;  and 
to  secure  the  latter  is  often  more  diffi- 
cult than  to  win  the  former.  The  sol- 
dier  may  conquer  a  realm  ;  it  requires  the  states- 
man to  organize  and  establish  sovereignty.  We 
may  be  entranced  with  enthusiasm  at  the  daring 
of  the  explorer ;  we  must  bow  with  respect  to  the 
man  who  transformed  a  wilderness  into  a  peace- 
ful field  of  industry  and  commerce.  Doubtless, 
at  the  end  of  his  great  Congo  campaign,  in  1878, 
Mr.  Stanley  longed  for  rest  and  home.  Up  to 
that  time  all  his  life  had  been  a  wandering,  chiefly 
amid  dangers  and  discomforts.  He  had  written 
his  name  among  those  of  the  world's  foremost 
explorers.  Well  might  he  have  considered  his 
task  accomplished,  and  have  turned  his  way 
toward  scenes  of  rest  and  pleasure.  Instead  of 
that,  all  these  great  deeds  were  but  the  prelude 
to  his  real  life-work. 

Early  in  November,  1878,  Mr.  Stanley  was  in- 
vited by  Leopold,  King  of  the  Belgians,  to  visit 
the  royal  palace  at  Brussels,  on  a  certain  day  and 
at  a  certain  hour.  He  went.  He  found  assem- 
bled to  meet  him  a  large  number  of  persons  of 
(484) 


THE    CONGO  REGION, 


485 


note  from  all  parts  of  the  world,  mostly  men  in- 
terested in  commerce  and  finance.  The  object 
of  the  meeting  was  to  promote  the  enterprise  of 
studying  what  might  best  be  done  with  the 
Congo  River  and  its  vast  basin.  Mr.  Stanley 
was  to  tell  them  of  the  country,  and  they  were  to 
consider  how  to  open  it  up  to  trade  and  civiliza- 
tion. "  I  have,"  said  the  explorer,  "  passed 
through  a  land  watered  by  the  largest  river  of 
the  African  continent,  and  that  land  knows  no 
owner.  A  word  to  the  wise  is  sufficient.  You 
have  cloths  and  hardware,  and  glassware  and 
gunpowder,  and  those  millions  of  natives  have 
ivory  and  gums  and  rubber  and  dyestuffs,  and  in 
barter  there  is  good  profit !  " 

This  was  a  tempting  prospect,  and  a  course  of 
action  was  soon  fixed  upon.  A  company  was 
formed,  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  capital 
was  subscribed  on  the  spot,  and  Mr.  Stanley  was 
commissioned  to  organize,  equip  and  lead  an  ex- 
pedition. He  was  to  open  up  a  road  through 
the  Congo  country  to  the  heart  of  Africa.  He 
was  to  erect  stations,  according  to  the  means  fur- 
nished, along  the  overland  route  for  the  conve- 
nience of  the  transport  and  the  European  staff  in 
charge,  and  to  establish  steam  communication 
wherever  available  and  safe.  The  stations  were 
to  be  commodious,  and  sufficient  for  all  demands 
that  were  likely  to  be  made  on  them.  Ground 
was  to  be  leased  or  purchased  adjoining  the  sta- 


486 


IN  THE    WILDS   OF  AFRICA. 


tions,  so  as  to  make  them  in  time  self-supporting. 
Land  along  each  side  of  the  route  was  also  to  be 
secured,  to  prevent  persons  ill-disposed  toward 
the  company  from  interfering  with  its  plans.  The 
whole  scheme  was  founded  on  the  ideas  of  peace 
and  equity.  The  expedition  was  to  make  its 
way  by  paying,  not  by  fighting. 

Mr.  Stanley  went  to  work  promptly  and  ener- 
getically. This  meeting  was  held  on  November 
25th.  The  directors  of  the  enterprise  met  again 
on  December  9th.  On  January  2d,  1879,  Mr. 
Stanley  laid  before  them  plans  and  estimates  for 
the  first  six  months'  work,  and  on  January  23d  he 
was  on  his  way  to  Zanzibar.  It  was,  of  course, 
desirable  to  have  experienced  men  associated 
with  him,  so  he  sought  out  as  many  of  his  old 
comrades  as  possible.  In  that  work  some  time 
was  spent,  but  in  the  latter  part  of  May  he  left 
Zanzibar  in  the  steamer  "Albion,'*  which  had 
been  chartered  for  the  use  of  the  expedition.  He 
had  w^th  him  sixty-eight  men,  recruited  at  Zanzi- 
bar, of  whom  forty-five  had  accompanied  him  on 
his  former  journey  down  the  Congo.  At  nine 
o'clock  in  the  morning  of  August  14th  he  sighted 
land  at  the  mouth  of  the  Congo,  and  soon  after 
was  at  anchor  near  the  Dutch  settlement  at 
Banana  Point.  Here  he  met,  for  the  first  time, 
the  other  officers  chosen  to  go  with  him  on  the 
expedition.  There  were  one  American,  two 
Englishmen,  two  Danes,  five  Belgians,  and  one 


UP   THE   CONGO, 


487 


Frenchman.  In  the  harbor  was  a  small  fleet  of 
steamers  intended  for  the  expedition,  and  on 
shore  was  a  considerable  store  of  goods  for  bar- 
tering with  the  natives. 

On  August  2 1  St,  seven  days  after  Mr.  Stanley's 
arrival  at  Banana,  the  vessels  of  the  expedition, 
consisting  of  the  "Albion ''  and  eight  other  craft 
of  various  sizes  (the  largest  being  the  steel  twin 
screw  steamer  "  La  Belgique,''  sixty-five  feet  long 
and  eleven  feet  beam ;  and  the  smallest  the 
''Jeune  Africaine,"  a  screw  launch,  twenty-five 
feet  long  and  five  feet  ten  inches  beam)  steamed 
out  of  Banana  Haven,  and  began  the  ascent  of 
the  noble  river.  Boma,  once  the  horrible  empo- 
rium of  the  slave-trade,  was  reached  after  a  sail 
of  eight  days ;  a  depot  was  formed  at  Mussuko, 
four  hours  higher  up  the  stream  on  the  south 
bank;  and  the  "Albion," after  making  one  or  two 
trips  between  Mussuko  and  Banana  Point,  in 
order  to  bring  up  the  goods  which  had  been  left 
behind,  was  released  from  river  duty,  taken  down 
to  Banana  Point,  coaled,  and  sent  home,  on 
September  17th. 

So  far,  all  had  gone  well  In  thirty-four  days 
it  had  reached  its  first  base  of  operations,  ninety 
miles  from  the  sea.  All  its  supplies  had  been 
brought  hither  in  safety,  and  the  outlook  for  the 
future  was  promising.  Soon  after  the  departure 
of  the  "Albion ''  steps  were  taken  to  advance  still 
further  up-stream,  and  the  next  station  was  made 


4^6 


IN  THE    WILDS   OF  AFRICA. 


at  Vivi.  This  was  six  hours'  sail  in  a  nine-knot 
steamer  above  Boma.  The  site  was  carefully 
chosen,  and  Vivi  has  since  become  the  most  im- 
portant station  on  the  river.  But  before  Mr. 
Stanley  could  commence  operations  in  Septem- 
ber, 1879,  a  palaver  had  to  be  held,  and  terms 
required  to  be  arranged  with  the  neighboring 
chiefs,  of  whom  there  were  five.  At  the  palaver 
the  five  chiefs  formed  a  somewhat  motley  group. 
The  introductions  being  over,  the  object  of  the 
expedition  was  explained  through  the  medium  of 
a  lingster  or  interpreter ;  proposals  were  made 
on  the  part  of  the  association ;  and  the  chiefs,  after 
begging  a  bottle  of  gin  apiece,  returned  to  their 
houses  to  consider  what  the  Mundele,  or  trader, 
as  Mr.  Stanley  was  now  called,  had  said  to  them. 

On  the  following  day  they  returned,  and  as  the 
conference  which  followed  was,  in  its  general 
features,  similar  to  many  others  that  were  held, 
we  may  as  well  use  Mr.  Stanley's  description  of 
it: — 

"  The  conference  began  by  the  lingster,  Mas- 
sala,  describing  how  the  chiefs  had  gone  home 
and  consulted  together  for  a  long  time ;  they  had 
agreed  that  if  the  Mundele  would  stay  with  them, 
that  of  all  the  land  unoccupied  by  villages,  or 
fields  and  gardens,  I  should  make  my  choice,  and 
build  as  many  houses,  and  make  as  many  roads, 
and  do  any  kind  of  work  I  liked ;  that  I  should 
be  considered  as  the  *  Mundele '  of  Vivi,  and  no 


CONTRACT  WITH  NATIVES, 


489 


Other  white  man  should  put  foot  on  Vivi  soil, 
which  stretched  from  the  LufQ  up  to  the  Banza 
Kulu  district,  and  inland  down  to  the  Loa  river, 
without  permission  from  me ;  no  native  chief  of 
inland  or  riverside  should  molest  any  man  in  my 
employ  within  the  district  of  Vivi ;  help  should 
be  given  for  work,  and  the  people  of  Vivi,  such 
as  liked,  should  engage  themselves  as  workmen ; 
anybody,  white  or  black,  native  or  foreign,  passing 
to  and  fro  through  the  land,  should  do  so  freely, 
night  and  day,  without  let  or  hindrance ;  if  any 
disagreement  should  arise  between  any  of  my 
people,  white  or  black,  and  the  people  of  Vivi, 
they,  the  chiefs,  would  promise  not  to  try  and  re- 
venge themselves,  but  bring  their  complaint  before 
the  Mundele  of  Vivi,  that  he  might  decide  upon 
the  right  and  the  wrong  of  it ;  and  if  any  of 
their  people  were  caught  in  the  act  of  doing  wrong, 
then  the  white  man  shall  promise  that  his  chief 
shall  be  called  to  hear  the  case  against  him,  and 
if  the  crime  is  proved  the  chief  shall  pay  the  fine 
according  to  custom. 

"  *A11  this,'  continued  Massala,  '  shall  be  set 
down  in  writing,  and  you  shall  read  it,  and  the 
English  lingster  shall  tell  it  straight  to  us.  But 
first  we  must  settle  what  the  chiefs  shall  receive 
in  return  for  these  concessions.*  '* 

This  was  not  so  easily  settled.  Four  hours 
were  spent  before  the  bargain  was  concluded,  and 
Mr.    Stanley   found  himself  obliged  to  pay  one 


4QO  ^^  ^^^    WILDS   OF  AFRICA. 

hundred  and  sixty  dollars  down  in  cloth  and  a 
rental  of  ten  dollars  per  month.  The  papers 
confirming  the  agreement  were  then  drawn  up 
in  due  form,  and  signed  by  the  various  parties 
concerned  in  the  matter. 

Mr.  Stanley,  as  "  Mundel6  of  Vivi,''  had  no 
good  reason  to  congratulate  himself  upon  his 
bargain.  He  had,  of  course,  secured  a  site  for 
his  station,  but  he  had  been  compelled  to  pay  a 
big  price  for  it,  and  his  land  was  a  mere  wilder- 
ness of  rocky  and  barren  hillsides.  All  the  really 
good  land  at  Vivi  was  already  occupied,  ani  the 
natives  would  not  part  with  it.  On  the  evening 
of  the  day  on  which  his  contract  was  signed  he 
wrote  in  his  diary :  **  I  am  not  altogether  pleased 
with  my  purchase.  It  has  been  most  expensive, 
in  the  first  place,  and  the  rent  is  high.  Hov^ever, 
necessity  has  compelled  me  to  do  it.  It  is  the 
highest  point  of  navigation  of  the  Congo,  oppo- 
site which  a  landing  could  be  effected.  The 
landing-place  is  scarcely  three  hundred  yards 
long,  but  if  the  shores  were  improved  by  level- 
ing, available  room  for  ships  could  be  found  for 
fifteen  hundred  yards.*'  On  the  plateau  near  the 
river  was  room  for  a  town  of  twenty  thousand 
people,  and  the  situation  seemed  salubrious.  So 
a  road  was  made  up  to  the  plateau,  buildings 
erected,  and  a  large  quantity  of  goods  brought 
up  from  Mussuko,  and  safely  housed. 

So  far  the  expedition  had  had  plain  sailing. 


AT  LIVINGSTONE   FALLS.  a^^ 

The  Congo  afifords  a  magnificent  waterway  from 
the  ocean,  at  Banana,  up  to  Vivi.  But  a  little 
distance  above  Vivi  are  the  Livingstone  Falls, 
rendering  further  navigation  impossible.  It  was 
therefore  necessary  to  build  a  road  and  make 
further  progress  overland.  So  work  was  begun 
on  a  new  road,  from  Vivi  to  Isangila,  fifty-two 
miles  above,  which  had  been  chosen  as  the  site 
of  the  next  station.  The  country  was  wild  and 
rugged,  and  ruled  by  thirty  or  forty  different 
chiefs.  Each  of  these  chiefs  had  to  be  negotiated 
with  and  won  over,  and  each  in  his  own  way. 
Moreover,  the  individual  owners  of  farms  and 
gardens  had  to  be  dealt  with,  and  often  paid  ex- 
orbitant prices  for  their  land.  Surveying  the 
route  was  a  long  and  toilsome  job.  The  work 
of  clearing  and  grading  would  have  been  stu- 
pendous had  it  been  designed  merely  to  make  it 
a  wagon-road.  But  it  was  to  be  more  than  that. 
It  was  to  be  a  road  over  which  several  of  the 
steamboats  could  be  transported,  to  be  relaunched 
on  the  river  above  the  falls.  Mr.  Stanley  never 
faltered,  however,  and  at  noon  of  March  i8th, 
1880,  the  work  of  making  the  road  was  begun. 
On  January  2d,  1881,  within  ten  months  from  the 
actual  beginning  of  the  work,  the  road,  fifty-two 
miles  in  length,  was  completed,  the  boats  were  on 
the  shore  at  Isangila  waiting  to  be  repaired, 
scraped,  and  painted,  and  the  "  Royal,''  a  small 
screw   steamer  presented  to  the  expedition    by 


IN  THE    WILDS   OF  AFRICA, 

the  King  of  the   Belgians,  was  steaming  on  the 
river. 

From  Isangila  there  was  smooth  navigation  up- 
stream for  eighty-eight  miles,  to  the  Falls  of 
Ntombo  Mataka.  Adjoining  the  latter  is  the 
district  of  Manyanga,  where  Mr.  Stanley  decided 
to  erect  the  next  station,  and  on  May  ist,  1881, 
the  whole  expedition  was  safely  encamped  there. 
Of  his  achievements  thus  far  Mr.  Stanley  speaks 
thus :  "  We  were  now  one  hundred  and  forty 
miles  above  Vivi,  to  accomplish  which  distance  we 
have  been  employed  four  hundred  and  thirty-six 
days  in  road-making  and  in  conveying  fifty  tons 
of  goods,  with  a  force  of  sixty-eight  Zanzibaris 
and  an  equal  number  of  West  Coast  and  inland 
natives.  During  this  period  we  had  travelled 
four  thousand  eight  hundred  and  sixteen  English 
miles,  which,  divided  by  the  number  of  days  occu- 
pied in  this  heavy  transport  work,  gives  a  quotient 
of  over  eleven  miles  per  day ! '' 

This  expedition  was  intended  to  reach,  as  its 
farthest  point,  Stanley  Pool,  which  was  still  ninety 
five  miles  away,  and  every  mile  was  full  of  diffi- 
culties. The  river  was  not  navigable,  so  an  over- 
land road  had  to  be  surveyed,  "palavered*'  for, 
purchased  and  built,  and  the  boats  dragged  over 
it.  Worse  still,  Mr.  Stanley  was  stricken  down 
with  fever,  and  for  a  long  time  lay  on  the  brink 
of  the  grave.  But  even  from  his  sick-bed  he 
continued  to  direct  affairs  and  to  inspire  his  fol- 


SAFE   AT  STANLEY  POOL,  aq^ 

lowers  with  his  own  unshaken  faith  in  the  success 
of  the  enterprise.  So,  by  December  3d,  1881,  the 
expedition  was  safe  at  Stanley  Pool  with  the 
steamer  "En  Avant"  launched  in  the  Bay  of 
Kintamo,  beyond  which  were  thousands  of  miles 
of  navigable  water.  The  new  station  was  founded 
on  Leopold  Hill,  a  fine  site  overlooking  the  river, 
and  was  named  Leopoldville,  in  honor  of  the 
royal  patron  of  the  enterprise.  Doubtless  this 
place  will  become  the  chief  centre  of  Central 
African  commerce.  Its  situation  is  magnificent. 
The  climate  is  salubrious.  The  surrounding  na- 
tives are  friendly.  Other  stations  have  since 
been  founded,  further  up  the  river,  all  tributary 
to  Leopoldville.  The  most  distant  of  them  is  on 
the  island  of  Wane  Rusari,  at  the  foot  of  Stanley 
Falls,  one  thousand  and  sixty-eight  miles  from 
Leopoldville. 


CHAPTER    XXIX. 

THE     CONGO     FREE     STATE. 

MR.  STANLEY'S  discoveries,  and  th(. 
enterprise  of  the  "  Committee  for  the 
Study  of  the  Upper  Congo" — which 
was  the  real  name  of  the  company  under  which 
he  was  sent  out — soon  attracted  universal  atten- 
tion, and  that,  too,  of  a  most  practical  kind.  It 
became  evident  that  the  Congo  Valley  must  have 
a  fixed  and  potent  government.  King  Leopold 
did  not  desire  to  assume  the  sole  responsibility^ 
nor,  indeed,  would  the  other  European  powers 
have  agreed  to  his  transform  so  large  a  slice 
of  the  African  continent  into  a  Belgian  colony. 
Accordingly,  an  international  conference  was 
summoned  to  meet  at  Berlin,  and  the  result  of  its 
deliberations  was  the  erection  of  the  entire  valley 
into  a  potentially  independent  commonwealth, 
called  the  Congo  Free  State.  On  February  25th, 
1885,  the  treaty  was  signed  by  the  representatives 
of  the  United  States  and  the  chief  European 
powers.  A  Constitution  and  Government  were 
provided  for  the  new  state,  with  King  Leopold  at 
its  head,  under  the  protection  of  the  treaty-signing 
powers.  Thenceforward  civilization  made  rapid 
progress.  The  state  was  admitted  to  the  Inter- 
(494) 


CONGO  FREE  STATE    OPENED, 


495 


national  Postal  Union,  and  post-offices  were 
opened  at  Banana,  Boma,  Vivl,  and  elsewhere. 
Courts,  schools,  etc.,  were  also  established.  A 
railroad  has  been  constructed  over  the  route  of 
Mr.  Stanley's  roads  around  the  cataracts,  con- 
necting with  the  steamer  routes,  and  making  an 
unbroken  line  of  steam  transportation  from  Stan- 
ley Falls  to  the  Atlantic  Ocean. 

The  entire  area  of  the  Congo  basin  is  estimated 
by  Mr.  Stanley  at  one  million  five  hundred  and 
eight  thousand  square  miles.  Some  of  it  is 
claimed  by  France,  some  by  Portugal,  and  some 
is  yet  unapportioned.  But  the  overwhelming 
bulk,  one  million  sixty-five  thousand  and  two 
hundred  square  miles,  belongs  to  the  Congo  Free 
State.  It  has  not  all  yet  been  surveyed,  of  course, 
but  its  character  is  pretty  well  known.  It  has 
vast  forests,  extensive  and  fertile  plains,  and  un- 
surpassed systems  of  lakes  and  rivers.  Its  lakes 
cover  thirty-one  thousand  seven  hundred  square 
miles ;  among  them  being  Lakes  Leopold  II., 
Muta  Nzige,  Tanganyika,  Bangweola,  and  Mweru. 
The  Congo,  of  course,  is  the  principal  river.  It  is 
one  of  the  five  or  six  longest  streams  in  the  world, 
and  in  point  of  volume  surpasses  all  but  the 
Amazon. 

Unlike  the  Amazon,  Mississippi,  Nile,  Ganges, 
Volga,  and,  indeed,  almost  all  other  great  rivers, 
the  Congo  has  no  delta.  It  discharges  itself  by  a 
single  unbroken  estuary  seven  miles  and  a  half 


496 


IN  THE    WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 


broad,  in  many  places  over  two  hundred  fathoms 
deep,  and  with  a  current  of  from  five  to  seven 
knots  an  hour.  The  volume  of  water  brought 
down  has  been  variously  estimated;  the  lowest 
estimate  being  two  million  cubic  feet  per  second. 
The  Mississippi,  when  at  the  height  of  its  March 
flood,  has  an  outflow  of  one  million  one  hundred 
and  fifty  thousand  cubic  feet  per  second ;  so  that 
its  volume  must  be  very  greatly  exceeded  by 
that  of  the  Congo. 

The  scenery  along  the  banks  of  the  Congo  is 
affirmed  by  all  who  have  seen  it  to  be  magnificent. 
Mr.  Stanley  has  seen  none  to  equal  it.  In  his 
opinion  neither  the  Indus  nor  the  Ganges,  the 
Nile  nor  the  Niger,  nor  any  of  the  rivers  of  North 
or  South  America  has  any  glories  of  mountain  or 
foliage  or  sunlight  which  are  not  greatly  excelled 
by  those  of  his  favorite  river,  and  many  of  the 
finest  passages  in  his  volumes  are  devoted  to  de- 
scriptions of  the  beauty  and  magnificence  seen 
along  its  banks. 

The  population  of  the  Free  State  of  the  Congo 
Mr.  Stanley  estimates  at  about  forty-five  millions. 
According  to  the  latest  trustworthy  calculations, 
the  population  of  the  whole  of  Africa  is  repre- 
sented by  two  hundred  millions.  Some  place  it 
at  one  hundred  and  seventy  millions.  The  data 
on  which  these  calculations  are  based  are,  of 
course,  imperfect,  and  Mr.  Stanley*s  seem  to  have 
been  based  chiefly  upon  the  density  of  population 


WEALTH  OF  THE  FREE   STATE.  ^gy 

he  found  on  the  banks  of  the  upper  Congo.  But 
in  other  parts,  and  especially  away  from  the 
rivers,  there  must  be  large  tracts  of  country  where 
the  population  is  much  less  dense  than  it  is  along 
the  banks  of  the  Congo,  and  any  generalization 
for  the  whole  of  the  country,  based  upon  the 
latter,  must  manifestly  give  too  high  a  figure. 

Of  the  climate  of  the  country,  Mr.  Stanley  is 
entitled  to  speak  with  authority,  and  justly,  as  no 
European  has  had  so  large  an  experience  of  it. 
With  care  as  to  food,  clothing,  and  exposure, 
Europeans,  it  would  seem,  may  live  as  long,  and 
enjoy  as  good  health  on  the  banks  of  the  Congo 
as  they  may  in  most  other  places.  But  care  is 
absolutely  requisite  ;  without  it  the  climate  proves 
as  hurtful  as  the  climate  of  the  west  coast  of 
Africa  is  generally  said  to  be. 

As  a  field  for  commerce,  Mr.  Stanley  speaks 
of  the  country  in  the  most  glowing  terms,  and  be- 
lieves that  it  excels  all  other  known  lands  for  the 
number  and  rare  variety  of  precious  gifts  with 
which  nature  has  endowed  it.  He  says:  "The 
forests  on  the  banks  of  the  Congo  are  filled  with 
precious  redwood,  lignum  vitse,  mahogany,  and 
fragrant  gum-trees.  At  their  base  may  be  found 
inexhaustible  quantities  of  fossil  gum,  with  which 
the  carriages  and  furniture  of  civilized  countries 
are  varnished ;  their  boles  exude  myrrh  and 
frankincense ;  their  foliage  is  draped  with  or- 
chilla-weed,  useful  for  dye.  The  redwood,  when 
32 


498 


IN   THE    WILDS   OF  AFRICA, 


cut  down,  chipped  and  rasped,  produces  a  deep 
crimson  powder,  giving  a  valuable  coloring ;  the 
creepers,  which  hang  in  festoons  from  tree  to 
tree,  are  generally  those  from  which  india-rubber 
is  produced  (the  best  of  which  is  worth  fifty  cents 
per  lb.)  ;  the  nuts  of  the  oil  palm  give  forth  a 
butter,  a  staple  article  of  commerce ;  while  the 
fibres  of  others  will  make  the  best  cordage. 
Among  the  wild  shrubs  is  frequently  found  the 
coffee-plant.  In  its  plains,  jungle,  and  swamp 
luxuriate  the  elephants,  whose  tusk  furnishes 
ivory  worth  from  $2.00  to  $2.75  per  lb. ;  its 
waters  teem  with  numberless  herds  of  hippopot- 
ami, whose  tusks  are  also  valuable ;  furs  of  the 
lion,  leopard,  monkey,  otter;  hides  of  antelope,  buf- 
alo,  goat,  cattle,  etc.,  may  also  be  obtained.  But, 
what  is  of  far  more  value,  it  possesses  over  forty 
millions  of  moderately  industrious  and  work- 
able people.  The  copper  of  Lake  Superior  is 
rivaled  by  that  of  the  Kwilu-Niadi  Valley,  and  of 
Bembe.  Rice,  cotton,  tobacco,  maize,  coffee, 
sugar,  and  wheat  would  thrive  equally  well  in 
the  broad  plains  of  the  Congo.  I  have  heard  of 
gold  and  silver,  but  this  statement  requires  cor- 
roboration, and  I  am  not  disposed  to  touch  upon 
what  I  do  not  personally  know.  A  large  portion 
of  the  Congo  basin,  at  present  inaccessible  to  the 
immigrant,  is  blessed  with  a  temperature  under 
which  Europeans  may  thrive  and  multiply.  There 
is   no  portion   of  it  where  the  European  trader 


STANLEY'S   GENIUS,  ^gg 

may  not  fix  his  residence  for  years,  and  develop 
commerce  to  his  own  profit  with  as  Httle  risk  as 
is  incurred  in  India/' 

Such  is  the  country  which  the  skill,  tact,  cour- 
age, and,  in  brief,  the  genius  of  Mr.  Stanley  have 
rescued  from  the  degradation  and  barbarism  of 
ages,  and  given  a  place  among  the  great  nations 
of  the  world.  It  is  his  fame  to  have  been  not 
merely  an  intrepid  explorer,  not  merely  a  peace- 
ful and  almost  bloodless  conqueror,  but  in  fully 
equal  measure  a  civilizer,  a  trade-bearer,  a  states- 
man ;  the  finder,  the  founder,  and  the  builder  of 
a  great  and  mighty  state. 


CHAPTER   XXX. 

EMIN,    THE    LAST   OF    THE    SOUDAN    HEROES. 

MR.  STANLEY  returned  to  civilization, 
and  in  1886  revisited  America  for  the 
first  time  in  thirteen  years.  He  was 
received  with  the  highest  honors,  and  the  lec- 
tures which  he  delivered  were  attended  by 
crowded  and  delio^hted  audiences.  It  seemed  at 
last  as  though  he  were  to  enjoy  a  considerable 
period  of  rest.  He  had  opened  up  the  Dark 
Continent,  and  founded  the  Congo  Free  State  on 
a  secure  basis.  He  might  now  direct  its  opera- 
tions from  London  or  Brussels,  and  spend  his 
years  in  well-won  ease.  But  this  was  not  to  be. 
He  was  abruptly  summoned  to  undertake  one  of 
the  most  arduous  of  all  his  tasks,  which  was  to 
lead  an  expedition  to  the  relief  of  Emin  Pasha  at 
Wadelai,  on  the  Nile. 

The  history  of  Emin  Pasha  is  a  most  romantic 
and  noble  one.  His  real  name  is  Edward 
Schnitzer,  and  he  was  born  in  1840  at  Oppeln, 
in  Silesia.  His  father,  a  merchant,  died  in  1845, 
and  three  years  before  that  date  the  family  re- 
moved to  Neisse.  When  Edward  Schnitzer  had 
passed  through  the  gymnasium  at  Neisse  he  de- 
voted himself  to  the  study  of  medicine  at  the 
(500) 


EMIN'S  BIOGRAPHY.  cq\ 

University  of  Breslau.  During  the  years  1863 
and  1864  he  pursued  his  studies  at  the  BerHn 
Academy.  The  desire  for  adventure  and  an  ex- 
ceptional taste  for  natural  sciences  induced  the 
young  medical  student  to  seek  a  field  for  his  call- 
ing abroad.  He,  therefore,  at  the  end  of  1864, 
left  Berlin  with  the  intention  of  obtaining  a  post 
of  physician  in  Turkey.  Chance  carried  him  to 
Antivari  and  then  to  Scutari.  Here  he  soon 
managed  to  attract  the  attention  of  Valis  Ismael 
Pasha  Haggi,  and  was  received  into  the  following 
of  that  dignitary,  who,  in  his  official  position,  had 
to  travel  through  the  various  provinces  of  the 
empire.  When,  in  this  way,  Dr.  Schnitzer  had 
learned  to  know  Armenians,  Syrians,  and  Arabi- 
ans, he  finally  reached  Constantinople,  where  the 
Pasha  died  in  1873.  In  the  summer  of  1875  Dr. 
Schnitzer  returned  to  Neisse ;  but  after  a  few 
months  the  old  passion  for  travel  again  came 
over  him,  and  he  betook  himself  to  Egypt,  where 
favorable  prospects  were  opened  out  to  him. 
With  the  beginning  of  the  year  1876  he  appears 
as  *'  Dr.  Emin  Effendi,'*  enters  the  Egyptian  ser- 
vice, and  places  himself  at  the  disposal  of  the 
Governor-General  of  the  Soudan.  In  the  post 
there  given  him  Dr.  Emin  met  with  Gordon,  who 
two  years  before  (1874)  had  been  intrusted  with 
the  administration  of  the  newly-created  Equato- 
rial province.  Gordon  sent  him  on  tours  of  in- 
spection through  the  territory  and  on  repeated 


ro2  ^^  ^^^    WILDS   OF  AFRICA. 

missions  to  King  M'tesa  at  Uganda.  When 
Gordon  Pasha,  two  years  later,  became  adminis- 
trator of  all  territory  lying  outside  the  narrower 
limits  of  Egypt,  Dr.  Emin  Efifendi  received  the 
post  of  commander  at  Lado,  together  with  the 
government  of  the  Equatorial  province.  With 
how  much  fidelity  and  self-denial  he  devoted 
himself  to  his  task  is  well  known. 

During  the  first  three  years  of  his  term  he 
drove  out  the  slave-traders  from  a  populous 
region  with  six  million  inhabitants.  He  converted 
a  deficiency  of  revenues  into  a  surplus.  He  con- 
ducted the  government  on  the  lines  marked  out 
by  General  Gordon,  and  was  equally  modest, 
disinterested,  and  conscientious.  When  the 
Mahdi's  rebellion  broke  out,  a  governor-general 
of  another  stamp  was  at  Khartoum.  Emin's 
warning  from  the  remote  South  passed  unheeded. 
Hicks'  army,  recruited  from  Arabics  demoralized 
regiments,  was  massacred ;  the  Egyptian  garri- 
sons throughout  the  Soudan  were  abandoned  to 
their  fate;  atrocious  campaigns  of  unnecessary 
bloodshed  were  fought  on  the  seaboard,  and 
General  Gordon  was  sent  to  Khartoum  to  perish 
miserably  while  waiting  for  a  relief  expedition 
that  crawled  by  slow  stages  up  the  Nile,  and  was 
too  late  to  be  of  practical  service.  During  all 
these  years  of  stupid  misgovernment  and  wasted 
blood  Emin  remained  at  his  post.  When  the 
death  of  General  Gordon  and  the  retreat  of  Lord 


LOST   TO    THE    WORLij  ctqi 

• 

Wolseley's  army  wiped  out  the  last  vestige  of 
Egyptian  rule  in  the  regions  of  the  Upper  Nile, 
the  Equatorial  Provinces  were  cut  off,  neglected, 
and  forgotten. 

It  then  became  impossible  for  Emin  to  commu- 
nicate with  the  Egyptian  Government,  and  he  was 
practically  lost  to  the  world.  He  was  dependent 
upon  his  own  resources  in  a  region  encompassed 
by  hostile  tribes.  He  might  easily  have  cut  his 
way  out  to  safety,  by  the  way  of  the  Congo  or 
Zanzibar,  with  the  best  of  his  troops,  leaving  the 
women  and  children  behind  to  their  fate.  But 
this  he  scorned  to  do.  He  stood  at  his  post,  and 
bravely  upheld  the  standard  of  civilization  in 
Africa.  He  had  with  him  about  four  thousand 
troops  at  the  outset.  He  organized  auxiliary 
forces  of  native  soldiers ;  he  was  constantly 
engaged  in  warfare  with  surrounding  tribes  ;  he 
garrisoned  a  dozen  river  stations  lying  long  dis- 
tances apart ;  his  ammunition  ran  low,  and  he 
lacked  the  money  needed  for  paying  his  small 
army.  But,  in  the  face  of  manifold  difficulties 
and  dangers,  he  maintained  his  position,  governed 
the  country  well,  and  taught  the  natives  how  to 
raise  cotton,  rice,  indigo,  and  coffee,  and  also  how 
to  weave  cloth,  and  make  shoes,  candles,  soap, 
and  many  articles  of  commerce.  He  vaccinated 
the  natives  by  the  thousand,  in  order  to'  stamp 
out  small-pox  ;  he  opened  the  first  hospital  known 
in  that  quarter;  he   established  a  regular  post- 


504  ^^   '^^^    WILDS    OF  AFRICA. 

• 

route  with,  forty  offices;  he  made  important 
geographical  discoveries  in  the  basin  of  the 
Albert  Lake ;  and  in  many  ways  demonstrated 
his  capacity  for  governing  barbarous  races. 

The  last  European  who  visited  him  was  Dr. 
Junker,  the  German  traveller,  who  parted  from 
him  at  Wadelai  on  January  ist,  1886.  His  posi- 
tion was  then  more  favorable,  but  he  had  been 
reduced  at  one  time  to  extremities,  his  soldiers 
having  escaped  by  a  desperate  sortie,  cutting  their 
way  through  the  enemy  after  they  had  been  many 
days  without  food,  and  "  when  the  last  torn  leather 
of  the  last  boot  had  been  eaten/'  Letters  written 
by  him  in  October,  1886,  at  Wadelai,  describing 
his  geographical  discoveries,  were  received  in 
England  in  1887,  with  a  contributed  article  for  a 
Scotch  scientific  journal.  The  provisions  and 
ammunition  sent  to  him  by  Dr.  Junker  had  had  a 
very  encouraging  effect  upon  his  troops.  He 
wrote :  "  I  am  still  holding  out  here,  and  will  not 
forsake  my  people.** 

The  betrayal  of  Gordon  at  Khartoum  by  the 
British  Government  had  so  disgusted  and  exas- 
perated decent  public  opinion  in  England  that  a 
popular  demand  was  made  for  the  rescue  of  Emin. 
The  Government  took  no  step  other  than  to  allow 
a  small  grant  of  money  to  be  made  from  the 
Egyptian  treasury.  But  private  subscriptions 
furnished  an  ample  sum,  and  an  "  Emin  Relief 
Committee"  was  formed  to  press  the  work. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

STANLEY    TO    THE    RESCUE. 

MR.  STANLEY  arrived  in  New  York, 
after  his  thirteen  years'  absence,  on 
November  27th,  1886.  On  December 
1 2th  of  the  same  year  he  was  requested  by  the 
King  of  the  Belgians  to  return  immediately  to 
Europe.  He  did  so,  and  was  commissioned  to 
head  the  expedition  then  being  formed  for  the 
relief  of  Emin  Pasha.  There  was  much  discussion 
as  to  the  route  to  be  taken,  most  authorities 
favoring  that  overland  from  Zanzibar.  But 
Mr.  Stanley  determined  upon  the  Congo,  and 
he  described  the  character  of  the  expedition  as 
follows : 

''  The  expedition  is  non-military — that  is  to  say, 
its  purpose  is  not  to  fight,  destroy,  or  waste ;  its 
purpose  is  to  save,  to  relieve  distress,  to  carry 
comfort.  Emin  Pasha  may  be  a  good  man,  a 
brave  officer,  a  gallant  fellow  deserving  of  a  strong 
effort  of  relief,  but  I  decline  to  believe,  and  I  have 
not  been  able  to  gather  from  any  one  in  England 
an  impression,  that  his  life,  or  the  lives  of  the  few 
hundreds  under  him,  would  overbalance  the  lives 
of  thousands  of  natives,  and  the  devastation  of 
immense  tracts  of  country  which  an  expedition 

(50s) 


5o6 


IN   THE    WILDS   OF  AFRICA. 


Strictly  military  would  naturally  cause.  The  ex- 
pedition is  a  mere  powerful  caravan,  armed  with 
rifles  for  the  purpose  of  insuring  the  safe  conduct 
of  the  ammunition  to  Emin  Pasha,  and  for  the 
more  certain  protection  of  his  people  during  the 
retreat  home.  But  it  also  has  means  of  purchas- 
ing the  friendship  of  tribes  and  chiefs,  of  buying 
food  and  paying  its  way  liberally/' 

Mr.  Stanley  went  from  England  to  Egypt, 
where  he  stopped  for  a  time  at  Cairo,  completing 
his  arrangements  with  the  Egyptian  government. 
On  reaching  Zanzibar  he  found  that  his  agents 
had  already  recruited  a  force  of  six  hundred  men 
for  the  expedition,  and  that  Tippu-Tib,  who  had 
escorted  his  caravan  in  1877,  when  the  first 
descent  of  the  Congo  was  made,  was  waiting  for 
him.  Tippu-Tib  was  the  Zobehr  of  the  Upper 
Congo,  commanding  two  of  the  best  roads  from 
the  river  to  Wadelai.  He  agreed  to  supply  six 
hundred  carriers  at  thirty  dollars  a  man ;  and  as 
Emin  was  reported  by  Dr.  Junker  to  have  seventy- 
five  tons  of  ivory,  the  expenses  of  the  expedition 
might  be  largely  defrayed  by  the  return  of  the 
Zanzibaris  to  the  Congo  with  their  precious  loads. 
Tippu-Tib  was  also  offered  the  position  of 
governor  at  Stanley  Falls  at  a  regular  salary. 
He  consented  to  accompany  Mr.  Stanley  on  these 
terms.  The  steamer  set  out  on  February  25th 
for  the  mouth  of  the  Concro  with  about  seven 
hundred  men  of  the  expedition,  reaching  its  desti- 


DEFECTIVE    TRANSPORTATION. 


507 


nation  in  four  weeks.  He  was  then  twelve  hun- 
dred and  sixty-six  miles  from  Aruwimi,  whence 
he  was  to  march  four  hundred  miles  through  an 
unknown  country  to  Emin's  capital.  It  was  as 
late  as  April  26th  before  he  could  leave  Leopold- 
ville,  on  Stanley  Pool,  and  it  was  not  until  the 
second  week  in  June  that  the  explorer  himself 
was  at  Aruwimi,  much  delay  having  been  caused 
by  defective  transportation. 

He  left  men  at  Stanley  Falls,  with  instructions 
to  rebuild  the  storehouses,  to  open  negotiations 
with  the  tribes,  and  to  provide  convoys  of  pro- 
visions for  the  relief  expedition.  A  rear-guard 
was  left  at  Yambouya,  and  the  advance  column 
passed  on  to  the  limits  of  navigation,  whence  the 
overland  march  was  taken  up.  Few  difficulties 
were  encountered  apart  from  the  natural  obstacles 
presented  by  a  country  very  difficult  to  traverse. 
About  July  25th  the  expedition  had  ascended  the 
River  Aruwimi  as  far  as  an  elevated  tract  of 
country  forming  a  portion  of  the  Mabodi  district. 

Thus,  Mr.  Stanley  and  his  comrades  plunged 
into  the  wilderness,  and  were  lost  to  the  sight  of 
the  world.  From  time  to  timq  thereafter  count- 
less rumors  came  from  Africa  regarding  them, 
rumors  varied  in  tone  as  in  number.  At  one 
time  they  had  reached  Emin  in  safety.  Again 
they  were  all  massacred  long  before  they  got  to 
Wadelai.  Now,  Mr.  Stanley  had  put  himself  at 
the  head  of  Emin's  army  and  was  marching  on 


5o8 


IN  THE    WILDS  OF  AFRICA, 


Khartoum  to  avenge  Gordon  and  overthrow  the 
Mahdi ;  and  then  he  and  Emin  were  captured  by 
the  Mahdist  forces  at  Lado.  Stories  came  of  a 
mysterious  "  White  Pasha "  who  was  leading  a 
conquering  army  through  the  Bahr  Gazelle 
country,  and  it  was  very  generally  believed  that 
it  was  Mr.  Stanley,  who  had  reached  Wadelai  and 
was  returning  to  the  coast  by  the  way  of  the 
Niger.  But  on  December  15th,  1888,  startling 
news  came  from  Suakim,  on  the  Red  Sea  coast 
of  Egypt.  Osman  Digna,  the  Frenchman  who 
had  turned  Arab  and  was  leader  of  the  Mahdist 
army  there,  under  a  flag  of  truce  informed  the 
British  commander  that  Emin's  province  had  fallen 
into  Arab  hands,  and  that  Emin  and  Stanley  were 
prisoners.  In  proof  of  this  he  sent  a  copy  of  a 
letter  just  received  from  a  Mahdist  officer  in  the 
Soudan,  as  follows : 

"  In  the  name  of  the  Great  God,  etc.  This  is 
from  the  least  among  God's  servants  to  his  Master 
and  chief  Khalifa,  etc.  We  proceeded  with  the 
steamers  and  army.  Reached  the  town  Lado, 
where  Emin,  Mudir  of  Equator,  is  staying.  We 
reached  this  place  5th  Safar,  1306.  We  must 
thank  officers  and  men  who  made  this  conquest 
easy  to  us  before  our  arrival.  They  caught  Emin 
and  a  traveller  staying  with  him,  and  put  both  in 
chains.  The  officers  and  men  refused  to  go  to 
Egypt  with  the  Turks.  Tewfik  sent  Emin  one  of 
the  travellers,  whose  name  is  Mr.  Stanley.     This 


A   SPURIOUS  LETTER,  cqq 

Mr.  Stanley  brought  with  him  a  letter  from 
Tevvfik  to  Emin,  dated  8th  Jemal  Aowal,  1304, 
No.  81,  telling  Emin  to  come  with  Mr.  Stanley, 
and  gave  the  rest  of  the  force  the  option  to  go  to 
Cairo  or  remain.  The  force  refused  the  Turkish 
orders,  and  gladly  received  us.  I  found  a  great 
deal  of  feathers  and  ivory.  I  am  sending  with 
this,  on  board  the  *  Bordain,*  the  officers  and  chief 
clerk.  I  am  also  sending  the  letter  which  came 
to  Emin  from  Tewfik,  with  the  banners  we  took 
from  the  Turks.  I  heard  that  there  is  another 
traveller  who  came  to  Emin,  but  I  heard  that  he 
returned.  I  am  looking  out  for  him.  If  he  comes 
back  again,  I  am  sure  to  catch  him.  All  the 
chiefs  of  the  province  with  the  inhabitants  were 
delighted  to  receive  us.  I  have  taken  all  the 
arms  and  ammunition.  Please  return  the  officers 
and  chief  clerk  when  you  have  seen  them  and 
given  the  necessary  instructions,  because  they 
will  be  of  great  use  to  me." 

This  was  accompanied  by  what  appeared  to  be 
a  letter  written  by  the  Khedive  at  Cairo  to  Emin, 
which  had  been  intrusted  to  Mr.  Stanley  to 
deliver,  and  this  convinced  many  of  the  truth  of 
Osman  Digna's  story.  But,  as  a  matter  of  fact, 
as  will  be  seen  later,  it  was  all  an  ingenious  lie, 
concocted  for  the  purpose  of  frightening  the 
British  into  abandoning  Suakim  to  the  slave- 
traders.  Meantime  there  was  true  news  of  actual 
disasters  on  the  Congo.     Major  Barttelot,  com- 


ciQ  IN  THE    WILDS   OF  AFRICA. 

manding  the  rear  guard  of  the  expedition,  was 
murdered ;  and  Mr.  Jamieson,  who  succeeded  to 
the  command,  died  of  fever.  Under  these  circum- 
stances, the  gloomiest  and  most  anxious  views 
prevailed  regarding  Mr.  Stanley's  fate. 

It  was  in  December,  1888,  that  the  dark  views 
concerning  Stanley's  fate  most  prevailed,  but  ten 
days  later  positive  and  authentic  news  of  Mr. 
Stanley's  safe  arrival  at  Emin  Pasha's  capital  was 
received,  and  on  April  3d,  1889,  full  details  of 
the  campaign,  written  by  Mr.  Stanley  himself, 
were  published.  His  letter  to  the  chairman  of 
the  Emin  Pasha  Relief  Committee  was  dated  at 
Bungangeta  Island,  Ituri  or  Aruwimi  River, 
August  28th,  1888,  and  gave  full  accounts  of  the 
varying  fortunes  of  the  expedition,  with  its  dis- 
asters and  successes. 


CHAPTER   XXXII. 


STANLEY    AND    EMIN. 


IN  his  letter  to  the  Emin  Pasha  Relief  Com- 
mittee Mr.  Stanley  closes  by  saying:  ''Let 
me  touch  more  at  large  on  the  subject 
which  brought  me  to  this  land — viz.,  Emin  Pasha. 

"The  Pasha  has  two  battalions  of  regulars 
under  him — the  first,  consisting  of  about  seven 
hundred  and  fifty  rifles,  occupies  Duffle,  Honyu, 
Lahore,  Muggi,  Kirri,  Bedden,  Rejaf ;  the  second 
battalion,  consisting  of  six  hundred  and  forty 
men,  guard  the  stations  of  Wadelai,  Fatiko, 
Mahagi  and  Mswa,  a  line  of  communication 
along  the  Nyanza  and  Nile  about  one  hundred 
and  eighty  miles  in  length.  In  the  interior  west 
of  the  Nile  he  retains  three  or  four  small  stations 
— fourteen  in  all.  Besides  these  two  battalions 
he  has  quite  a  respectable  force  of  irregulars, 
sailors,  artisans,  clerks,  servants.  'Altogether,' 
he  said,  '  if  I  consent  to  go  away  from  here  we 
shall  have  about  eight  thousand  people  with  us.' 

" '  Were  I  in  your  place  I  would  not  hesitate 
one  moment  or  be  a  second  in  doubt  what  to 
do.' 

"'What  you  say  is  quite  true,  but  we  have 
such   a   large  number  of  women  and   children, 

(5") 


CI  2  ^^  ^^^    WILDS   OF  AFRICA. 

probably  ten  thousand  people  altogether.  How 
can  they  all  be  brought  out  of  here  ?  We  shall 
want  a  great  number  of  carriers/ 

"  *  Carriers  !  carriers  for  what?'  I  asked. 

"*For  the  women  and  children.  You  surely 
would  not  leave  them,  and  they  cannot  travel  ? ' 

"  *  The  women  must  walk.  It  will  do  them 
more  good  than  harm.  As  for  the  little  children, 
load  them  on  the  donkeys.  I  hear  you  have  about 
two  hundred  of  them.  Your  people  will  not 
travel  very  far  the  first  month,  but  little  by  little 
they  will  get  accustomed  to  it.  Our  Zanzibar 
women  crossed  Africa  on  my  second  expedition. 
Why  cannot  your  black  women  do  the  same  ? 
Have  no  fear  of  them ;  they  will  do  better  than 
the  men.' 

"  *They  would  require  a  vast  amount  of  pro- 
vision for  the  road.' 

"  *  True,  but  you  have  some  thousands  of  cattle, 
I  believe.  Those  will  furnish  beef.  The  countries 
through  which  we  pass  must  furnish  grain  and 
vegetable  food.' 

"  *  Well,  well,  we  will  defer  further  talk  till  to- 
morrow.' 

"  May  1st,  1888. — Halt  in  camp  at  Nsabe.  The 
Pasha  came  ashore  from  the  steamer  *  Khedive ' 
about  one  p.  m.,  and  in  a  short  time  we  com- 
menced our  conversation  again.  Many  of  the 
arguments  used  above  were  repeated,  and  he 
said: 


EMIN  PASHA'S  FEARS.  rj^ 

"*  What  you  told  me  yesterday  has  led  me  to 
think  that  it  is  best  we  should  retire  from  here. 
The  Egyptians  are  very  willing  to  leave.  There 
are  of  these  about  one  hundred  men,  besides 
their  women  and  children.  Of  these  there  is  no 
doubt,  and  even  if  I  stayed  here  I  should  be  glad 
to  be  rid  of  them,  because  they  undermine  my 
authority  and  nullify  all  my  endeavors  for  retreat. 
When  I  informed  them  that  Khartoum  had  fallen 
and  Gordon  Pasha  was  slain,  they  always  told  the 
Nubians  that  it  was  a  concocted  story,  that  some 
day  we  should  see  the  steamer's  ascend  the  river 
for  their  relief.  But  of  the  regulars  who  com- 
pose the  first  and  second  battalions  I  am  ex- 
tremely doubtful ;  they  have  led  such  a  free  and 
happy  life  here  that  they  would  demur  at  leaving 
a  country  where  they  have  enjoyed  luxuries  they 
cannot  command  in  Egypt.  The  soldiers  are 
married,  and  several  of  them  have  harems. 
Many  of  the  irregulars  would  also  retire  and 
follow  me.  Now,  supposing  the  regulars  refuse 
to  leave,  you  can  imagine  that  my  position  would 
be  a  difficult  one.  Would  I  be  right  in  leaving 
them  to  their  fate  ?  Would  it  not  be  consigning 
them  all  to  ruin  ?  I  should  have  to  leave  them 
their  arms  and  ammunition,  and  on  returning  all 
discipline  would  be  at  an  end.  Disputes  would 
arise,  and  factions  would  be  formed.  The  more 
ambitious  would  aspire  to  be  chiefs  by  force,  and 
from    these    rivalries   would    spring    hate    and 

S3 


5H 


IN  THE    WILDS   OF  AFRICA, 


mutual  slaughter  until  there  would  be  none  of 
them  left/ 

"  *  Supposing  you  resolve  to  stay,  what  of  the 
Egyptians  ?  '  I  asked. 

"  *  Oh !  these  I  shall  have  to  ask  you  to  be 
good  enough  to  take  with  you/ 

"Now,  will  you.  Pasha,  do  me  the  favor  to  ask 
Captain  Casati  if  we  are  to  have  the  pleasure  of 
his  company  to  the  sea,  for  we  have  been  in- 
structed to  assist  him  also  should  we  meet  ? ' 

"  Captain  Casati  answered  through  Emin  Pasha: 

"  *  What  the  Governor  Emin  decides  upon  shall 
be  the  rule  of  conduct  for  me  also.  If  the  Gov- 
ernor stays,  I  stay.     If  the  Governor  goes,  I  go.' 

" '  Well,  I  see,  Pasha,  that  in  the  event  of  your 
staying  your  responsibilities  will  be  great* 

"A  laugh.  The  sentence  was  translated  to 
Casati,  and  the  gallant  Captain  replied  : 

"  *  Oh !  I  beg  pardon,  but  I  absolve  the  Pasha 
from  all  responsibility  connected  with  me,  because 
I  am  governed  by  my  own  choice  entirely.' 

"  Thus  day  after  day  I  recorded  faithfully  the 
interviews  I  had  with  Emin  Pasha;  but  these 
extracts  reveal  as  much  as  is  necessary  for  you 
to  understand  the  position.  I  left  Mr.  Jephson 
thirteen  of  my  Soudanese,  and  sent  a  message  to 
be  read  to  the  troops,  as  the  Pasha  requested. 
Everything  else  is  left  until  I  return  with  the 
united  expedition  to  the  Nyanza. 

'*  Within  two  months  the  Pasha  proposed  to 


I  Harp«r't  Weekly. 


£HIN  FJLSHA. 


Copyright,  1887,  by  Harper  k  Brotkva. 


STANLEY'S  PLANS.  C17 

visit  Fort  Bodo,  taking  Mr.  Jephson  with  him. 
At  Fort  Bodo  I  have  left  instructions  to  the 
officers  to  destroy  the  fort  and  accompany  the 
Pasha  to  the  Nyanza.  I  hope  to  meet  them  all 
again  on  the  Nyanza,  as  I  intend  making  a  short 
cut  to  the  Nyanza  along  a  new  road/' 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

IN     THE     HEART     OF     AFRICA. 

IT  was  in  April,  1889,  that  the  thrilling  narra- 
tive  of  Mr.  Stanley's  march  from  the  Congo 
to  the  Lakes  was  made  known.  Then  he  dis- 
appeared again  from  view,  but  not  for  long.  Early 
in  November  following  he  was  heard  from  again, 
authoritatively,  and  in  the  same  month  the  story 
of  his  work  in  the  Equatorial  Province  was  re- 
hearsed to  the  listening  world.  It  was  on  No- 
vember 24th  that  Mr.  Marston,  of  London,  the 
well-known  publisher,  received  this  letter  from 
the  explorer,  dated  at  a  mission  station  at  the 
southern  end  of  Victoria  Nyanza,  September  3d, 
1889: 

"It  just  now,''  wrote  Mr.  Stanley,  "appears 
such  an  age  to  me  since  I  left  England.  Ages 
have  gone  by  since  I  saw  you,  surely.  Do  you 
know  why?  Because  a  daily  thickening  barrier 
of  silence  has  crept  between  us  during  that  time, 
and  this  silence  is  so  dense  that  in  vain  we  yearn 
to  pierce  it.  On  my  side  I  may  ask,  what  have 
you  been  doing?  On  yours  you  may  ask,  and 
what  have  you  been  doing?  I  can  assure  myself, 
now  that  I  know  you  live,  that  few  days  have 
passed  without  the  special  task  of  an  enterprising 
(518} 


AFRICA'S  DARKEST  REGION. 


519 


publisher  being  performed  as  wisely  and  as  well 
as  possible. 

"And,  for  the  time  being,  you  can  believe  me 
that  one  day  has  followed  another  in  striving 
strifefully  against  all  manner  of  obstacles,  natural 
and  otherwise.  From  the  day  I  left  Yambuya  to 
August  28th,  1889,  the  day  I  arrived  here,  the 
bare  catalogue  of  incidents  would  fill  several 
quires  of  foolscap ;  the  catalogue  of  skirmishes 
would  be  of  respectable  length ;  the  catalogue  of 
adventures,  accidents,  mortalities,  sufferings  from 
fever,  morbid  musings  over  mischances  that  meet 
us  daily,  would  make  a  formidable  list. 

"You  know  that  all  the  stretch  of  country 
between  Yambuya  and  this  place  was  an  abso- 
lutely new  country  except  what  may  be  measured 
by  five  ordinary  marches. 

"  First  there  is  that  dead  white  of  the  map  now 
changed  to  a  dead  black — I  mean  that  darkest 
region  of  earth  confined  between  east  longitude 
25  deg.  and  east  longitude  29  deg.  45  min. — one 
great,  compact,  remorselessly  sullen  forest,  the 
growth  of  an  untold  number  of  ages,  swarming  at 
stated  intervals  with  immense  numbers  of  vicious, 
man-eating  savages  and  crafty,  undersized  men, 
who  were  unceasing  in  their  annoyance. 

"  Then  there  is  that  belt  of  grass  land  lying 
between  it  and  Albert  Nyanza,  whose  people 
contested  every  mile  of  our  advance  with  spirit, 
and  made  us  think  that  they  were  the  guardians 


520 


IN  THE    WILDS   OF  AFRICA. 


of  some  priceless  treasure  hidden  on  the  Nyanza 
shores,  or  at  war  with  Emin  Pasha  and  his  thou- 
sands. Sir  Percival,  in  search  of  the  Holy  Grail, 
could  not  have  met  with  a  hotter  opposition. 

"Three  separate  times  necessity  compelled  us 
to  traverse  these  unholy  regions,  with  varying 
fortunes.  Incidents  then  crowded  fast.  Emin 
Pasha  was  a  prisoner,  an  officer  of  ours  was  his 
forced  companion,  and  it  really  appeared  as 
though  we  were  to  be  added  to  the  list.  But 
there  is  a  virtue,  you  know,  even  in  striving 
unyieldingly,  in  hardening  nerves  and  facing  these 
everclinging  mischances,  without  paying  too  much 
heed  to  reputed  danger.  One  is  assisted  much 
by  knowing  that  there  is  no  other  coup  and 
danger. 

"Somehow,  nine  times  out  of  ten  the  dimin- 
ished rebels  of  Emin  Pasha's  government  relied 
on  their  craft  and  on  the  wiles  of  a  *  heathen 
Chinee,'  and  it  is  rather  amusing  now  to  look 
back  and  note  how  punishment  has  fallen  upon 
them. 

"Was  it  Providence  or  luck?  Let  those  who 
love  to  analyze  such  matters  reflect  on  it.  Trai- 
tors without  the  camp  and  traitors  within  were 
watched,  and  the  most  active  conspirator  was 
discovered,  tried  and  hanged.  Traitors  without 
fell  foul  of  one  another  and  ruined  themselves. 
If  not  luck,  then  surely  it  is  Providence,  in  an- 
swer to  good  men's  prayers  far  away. 


PERILS   OF   THE    JOURNEY,  52 1 

"Our  people,  tempted  by  extreme  wretched- 
ness and  misery,  sold  our  rifles  and  ammunition 
to  our  natural  enemies,  the  Manyema  slave- 
holders. True  friends,  without  the  least  grace 
in  either  their  bodies  or  souls !  What  happy 
influence  was  it  that  restrained  me  from  destroy- 
ing all  those  concerned  in  it  ? 

"Each  time  I  read  the  story  of  Captain  Nel- 
son's and  Surgeon  Parkes'  sufferings  I  feel  vexed 
at  my  forbearance,  and  yet  again  I  feel  thankful, 
for  a  higher  power  than  man's  severely  afflicted 
the  cold-blooded  murderers  by  causing  them  to 
feed  upon  one  another  a  few  weeks  after  the 
rescue  and  relief  of  Nelson  and  Parkes.  The 
memory  of  those  days  alternately  hardens  and 
unmans  me. 

"With  the  rescue  of  Emin  Pasha,  poor  old 
Casati,  and  those  who  preferred  Egypt's  flesh 
pots  to  the  coarse  plenty  of  the  province  near 
Nyanza,  we  returned,  and  while  we  were  patiently 
waiting  the  doom  of  the  rebels  was  consum- 
mated. 

"Since  that  time  of  anxiety  and  unhappy  out- 
look I  have  been  at  the  point  of  death  from  a 
dreadful  illness.  The  strain  had  been  too  much, 
and  for  twenty-eight  days  I  lay  helpless,  tended 
by  the  kindly  and  skilful  hand  of  Surgeon  Parkes. 
Then  little  by  litde  I  gathered  strength  and  or- 
dered the  march  for  home. 

"Discovery  after  discovery  in  this  wonderful 


C22  ^^  ^^^    WILDS   OF  AFRICA, 

region  was  made.  The  snowy  ranges  of  Rueven- 
zoni,  the  ^ Cloud  King'  or  *Rain  Creator/  the 
Semliki  River.  Albert  Edward  Nyanza,  the  plains 
of  Noongora,  the  salt  lakes  of  Kative,  new  peo- 
ples, Wakonju  of  the  Great  Mountains,  dwellers 
of  the  rich  forest  region,  the  Awamba,  the  fine- 
featured  Wasonyora,  the  Wanyoro  bandits,  and 
then  Lake  Albert  Edward,  the  tribes  and  shep- 
herd races  of  the  Eastern  uplands,  then  Wan- 
yankori,  besides  Wanyaruwamba  and  Wazinja, 
until  at  last  we  came  to  a  church,  whose  cross 
dominated  a  Christian  settlement,  and  we  knew 
that  we  had  reached  the  outskirts  of  blessed 
civilization. 

"We  have  every  reason  to  be  grateful,  and  may 
that  feeling  be  ever  kept  within  me.  Our  prom- 
ises as  volunteers  have  been  performed  as  well 
as  though  we  had  been  specially  commissioned 
by  the  government.  We  have  been  all  volun- 
teers, each  devoting  his  several  gifts,  abilities 
and  energies  to  win  a  successful  issue  for  the 
enterprise.  If  there  has  been  anything  that  clouds 
sometimes  our  thoughts,  it  has  been  that  we  were 
compelled  by  the  state  of  Emin  Pasha  and  his 
own  people  to  cause  anxieties  to  our  friends  by 
serious  delays. 

"At  every  opportunity  I  have  endeavored  to 
lessen  these  by  despatching  full  accounts  of  our 
progress  to   the  committee,  that  through  them 


UNAVOIDABLE  DELAYS. 


523 


all  interested  might  be  acquainted  with  what  we 
are  doing. 

'*Some  of  my  officers  also  have  been  troubled 
in  the  thought  that  their  government  might  not 
overlook  their  having  overstayed  their  leave, 
but  the  truth  is  that  the  wealth  of  the  British 
treasury  could  not  have  hastened  our  march,* 
without  making  ourselves  liable  to  an  impeach- 
ment for  breach  of  faith,  and  my  officers  were 
as  much  involved  as  myself  in  doing  the  thing 
honorably  and  well.'* 

The  same  mail  brought  to  Sir  William  Mac- 
kinnon  a  letter  from  Stanley,  dated  Kafurro, 
Arab  Settlement,  Karagwa,  August  5th,  1889, 
from  which  the  following  is  taken : 

"  On  the  13th  of  February  a  native  courier  ap- 
peared in  camp  with  a  letter  from  Emin  Pasha 
with  news  which  electrified  us.  He  was  actually 
at  anchor  just  below  our  plateau  camp;  but  here 
.is  his  formal  letter : 

"In  Camp,  February  13th,  1889. 
"*To  Henry  M.  Stanley,  Commanding  the  Re- 
lief Expedition : 

"*SiR — In  answer  to  your  letter  of  the  7th 
inst,  for  v/hich  I  beg  to  tender  my  best  thanks,  I 
have  the  honor  to  inform  you  that  yesterday,  at 
three,  I  arrived  here  with  my  two  steamers,  car- 
rying the  first  lot  of  people  desirous  to  leave  this 


524  ^^  ^^^   WILDS  OF  AFRICA. 

country  under  your  escort.  As  soon  as  I  have 
arranged  for  the  cover  of  my  people  the  steam- 
ships have  to  start  for  Mswa  station,  to  bring  on 
another  lot  of  people  awaiting  transport.  With 
me  there  are  some  twelve  officers  anxious  to  see 
you,  and  only  forty  soldiers.  They  have  come 
•under  my  orders  to  request  you  to  give  them 
some  time  to  bring  their  brothers,  at  least  such 
as  are  willing  to  leave  from  Wadelai,  and  I  prom- 
ised them  to  do  my  best  to  assist  them. 

" '  Things  having  to  some  extent  now  changed, 
you  will  be  able  to  make  them  undergo  whatever 
conditions  you  see  fit  to  impose  upon  them.  To 
arrange  these  I  shall  start  from  here  with  my 
officers  for  your  camp,  after  having  provided  for 
the  camp,  and  if  you  send  carriers  I  could  avail 
myself  of  some  of  them.  I  hope,  sincerely,  that 
the  great  difficulties  you  have  had  to  undergo, 
and  the  great  sacrifices  made  by  your  expedition 
on  its  way  to  assist  us,  may  be  rewarded  by  full 
success  in  bringing  out  my  people.  The  wave- 
of  insanity  which  overran  the  country  has  sub- 
sided, and  of  such  people  as  are  now  coming 
with  me  we  may  be  sure. 

" '  Signor  Casati  requests  me  to  give  his  best 
thanks  for  your  kind  remembrance  of  him.  Per- 
mit me  to  express  to  you,  once  more,  my  cordial 
thanks  for  whatever  you  have  done  for  us  until 
now,  and  believe  me  to  be  yours,  very  faithfully, 

"'Dr.  Emin.'" 


READY  TO  START. 


525 


On  the  1 7th  of  February  Emin  Pasha  and  a 
following  of  about  sixty  people,  including  several 
high  officials,  arrived  at  Stanley's  camp.  They 
seemed  unanimously  in  favor  of  departure  from 
their  position  ;  but  they  pleaded  for  time,  and 
finally  the  loth  of  April  was  decided  upon  as  the 
final  day  of  the  delay,  which  now  had  aggregated 
nearly  a  year.  Emin  Pasha  throughout  this  in- 
terview insisted  that  it  all  remained  with  his  peo- 
ple, but  still  April  loth  was  agreed  to  as  a  day 
when  all  could  be  ready  for  the  start.  This  de- 
cision was  emphasized  by  a  council  of  Stanley's 
officers,  all  of  whom  agreed  that  no  delay  beyond 
the  appointed  day  should  be  thought  of.  After 
much  hesitation  and  questioning  on  Emin's  part, 
lest  he  should  do  a  wrong  in  abandoning  any  of 
his  people,  his  final  muster  was  made  and  the 
march  was  begun  on  the  day  set  by  Mr.  Stanley. 


CHAPTER   XXXIV. 

FORWARD    MARCH  ! 

AT  muster  this  curious  result  was  returned  : 
There  were  with  us  one  hundred  and 
thirty-four  men,  eightj^-four  married 
women,  one  hundred  and  eighty-seven  female 
domestics,  seventy-four  children  above  two  years, 
thirty-five  infants  in  arms — making  a  total  of  five 
hundred  and  fourteen.  I  have  reason  to  believe 
that  the  number  was  nearer  six  hundred,  as  many 
were  not  reported  from  fear  probably  that  some 
would  be  taken  prisoners. 

"  On  the  loth  of  April  we  set  out  from  Kavallis, 
in  number  about  one  thousand  five  hundred,  for 
three  hundred  and  fifty  native  carriers  had  been 
enrolled  from  the  district,  to  assist  in  carrying  the 
baggage  of  the  Pasha's  people,  whose  ideas  as 
to  what  was  essential  for  the  march  were  very 
crude. 

"On  the  nth  we  camped  at  Masambonis,  but 
in  the  night  I  was  struck  down  with  a  severe  ill- 
ness, which  well  nigh  proved  mortal.  It  detained 
us  at  the  camp  twenty-eight  days,  which,  if  Selim 
Bey  and  his  party  were  really  serious  in  their  in- 
tentions to  withdraw  from  Africa,  was  most  fortu- 
nate for  them,  since  it  increased  their  time  allow^ 
(5*6) 


"      FORCED  DELAY.  527 

ance  to  seventy-two  days.  But  in  all  this  interval 
only  Shukri  Aga,  the  chief  of  Mswa  Station,  ap- 
peared. He  had  started  with  twelve  soldiers,  but 
they,  one  by  one,  disappeared,  until  he  had  only 
one  trumpeter  and  one  servant.  A  few  days  after 
the  trumpeter  absconded.  Thus  only  one  servant 
was  left  out  of  a  garrison  of  sixty  men  who  were 
reported  to  be  the  faithfullest  of  the  faithful. 

"  On  the  8th  of  May  our  march  was  resumed. 
The  route  skirted  the  Mega  Mountains  at  their 
southern  end,  and  encountered  the  King  of 
Uyoro.  The  first  day*s  encounter  was  in  our 
favor,  and  it  cleared  the  territory  as  far  as  the 
Semliki  River,  of  the  Wanyoro.  Meantime  we 
had  become  aware  that  we  were  on  the  threshold 
of  a  region  which  promised  to  be  very  interesting, 
for  daily,  as  we  advanced  to  the  southward,  the 
great  snowy  range  which  had  so  suddenly 
arrested  our  attention  and  excited  our  intense 
interest  on  May  i,  1888,  grew  larger  and  bolder 
into  view.  It  extended  a  long  distance  to  the 
southwest,  which  would  inevitably  take  us  some 
distance  off  our  course,  unless  a  pass  could  be 
discovered  to  shorten  the  distance  to  the  countries 
south. 

"  Much,  however,  as  we  had  flattered  ourselves 
that  we  should  see  some  marvellous  scenery,  the 
*  Snow  Mountain  *  was  very  coy  and  hard  to  see. 
On  most  days  it  looked  impending  over  us  like  a 
tropical  storm  cloud,  ready  to  dissolve  in  rain  and 


528 


IN  THE    WILDS   OF  AFRICA, 


ruin.  On  its  snowy  cap  shot  into  view  jagged 
clouds,  whirling  and  eddying  round.  Often  at 
sunrise  Ruwenzori  would  appear  like  a  crag 
deeply  marked  and  clearly  visible,  but  presently 
all  would  be  buried  under  mass  upon  mass  of  mist 
until  the  immense  mountain  was  no  more  visible 
than  if  we  were  thousands  of  miles  away ;  and 
then,  also,  the  *  Snow  Mountain  *  being  set  deeply 
in  the  range,  the  nearer  we  approached  the  base 
of  the  range  the  less  we  saw  of  it. 

"It  took  us  nineteen  marches  to  reach  the 
southwest  angle  of  the  range,  the  Semliki  Valley 
being  below  us  on  our  right,  and  which,  if  the 
tedious  mist  had  permitted,  would  have  been 
exposed  in  every  detail.  That  part  of  the  valley 
traversed  by  us  is  generally  known  under  the 
name  of  Awamba,  while  the  habitable  portion  of 
the  range  is  principally  denominated  Ukonju. 
The  huts  of  the  natives,  the  Bakonju,  are  seen  as 
high  as  8,000  feet  above  the  sea. 

"A  few  days  later  we  entered  Unyampaka, 
which  I  had  visited  in  January,  1876.  Ringi,  the 
king,  allowed  us  to  feast  on  his  bananas  unques- 
tioned. After  following  the  lake  shore  until  it 
turned  too  far  to  the  southwest,  we  struck  for  the 
lofty  uplands  of  Aukori,  by  the  natives  of  which 
we  were  well  received,  preceded  as  we  had  been 
by  the  reports  of  our  great  deeds  in  relieving  salt 
lake  of  the  presence  of  the  universally  obnoxious 
Warosura. 


OUR   COUk^ii    OF    TRAVEL.  ^jQ 

"  If  you  draw  a  straight  line  from  Nyanza  to 
the  Uzinja  shores  of  Victoria  Lake  it  would  repre- 
sent pretty  fairly  our  course  through  Aukori, 
Karagwe  and  Uhaiya  to  Uzinja. 

"Aukori  was  open  to  us  because  we  had  driven 
Wanyaro  from  the  salt  lake.  The  story  was  an 
open  sesame.  Here  also  existed  a  wholesome 
fear  of  an  expedition  which  had  done  that  which 
all  the  power  of  Aukori  could  not  have  done. 
Karagwe  was  open  to  us,  because  free  trade  is 
the  policy  of  Wanyamba  and  because  the  Wate- 
anda  were  too  much  engrossed  with  their  civil 
war  to  interfere  with  our  passage.  Uhaiya  ad- 
mitted our  entrance  without  cavil,  out  of  respect 
to  our  numbers,  and  Wakwiya  guided  us  in  a  like 
manner,  to  be  welcomed  by  Wazinja. 

"  Nothing  happened  during  our  long  journey 
from  Albert  Lake  to  cause  us  any  regret  that  we 
had  taken  this  straight  course,  but  we  have  suf- 
fered from  an  unprecedented  number  of  fevers. 
We  have  had  as  many  as  one  hundred  and  fifty 
cases  in  one  day.  In  the  month  of  July  we  lost 
one  hundred  and  forty-one  Egyptians. 

"  Out  of  respect  to  the  first  British  Prince  who 
has  shown  an  interest  in  African  geography  we 
have  named  the  southern  Nyanza,  to  distinguish 
it  from  the  other  two  Nyanzas,  Albert  Edward 
Nyanza.  It  is  not  a  very  large  lake  compared  to 
Victoria,  Tanganika  and  Nyassa.  It  is  small,  but 
its  importance  and  interest  lie  in  the  sole  fact  that 

34 


t-^Q  IN  THE    WILDS   OF  AFRICA. 

it  IS  the  receiver  of  all  the  streams  at  the  ex* 
tremity  of  the  southwestern  or  Left  Nile  basin, 
and  discharges  these  waters  by  one  river,  the 
Semliki,  into  Albert  Nyanza.  In  a  like  manner 
Lake  Victoria  receives  all  streams  from  the  ex- 
tremity of  the  southeastern  or  Right  Nile  basin 
and  pours  these  waters  by  the  Victoria  Nile  into 
Albert  Nyanza.  These  two  Niles  amalgamate  in 
Lake  Albert,  under  the  well-known  name  of  White 
Nile. 

,"  By  the  route  taken  I  traversed  the  Semliki 
Valley,  the  Awamba,  the  Usongora,  the  Toro,  the 
Utraiyana,  the  Unyampaka,  the  Antrosi,  the 
Karagive,  the  Uhaiya,  the  Uzimza,  the  South 
Victoria  and  the  Nyanza.  No  hostile  natives 
were  met.  Since  we  left  Kabbarega  we  travelled 
along  the  base  of  the  snowy  range  Rujenzori„ 
Three  sides  of  the  Southern  Nyanza  or  Nyanza 
of  Usongora,  which  is  called  now  Albert  Edward 
Nyanza,  are  about  nine  hundred  feet  higher  than 
Albert  Nyanza,  having  an  exit  at  Semliki  which 
receives  over  fifty  streams  from  the  Ruwenzori 
and  finally  enters  the  Albert  Nyanza,  making  the 
Albert  Edward  the  source  of  the  southwest 
branch  of  the  White  Nile,  the  Victoria  Nyanza 
being  the  source  of  the  southeast  branch." 

The  relief  committee  at  once  made  arrange- 
ments for  the  forwarding  of  supplies  to  meet 
Stanley  at  Mpwapwa.  It  was  thought  that  he 
could  not  reach  the  coast  before  the  beginning 


NEARING    THE    COAST.  rx\ 

ol'  next  year.  Mpwapwa  is  a  station  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  the  coast,  on  the 
road  from  Zanzibar  and  Bagamoyo  to  Lake 
Tanganika.  But  the  expedition  made  rapid 
progress.  On  November  20th  Captain  Wiss- 
mann  telegraphed  from  Zanzibar  that  Stanley 
had  reached  Mpwapwa  on  November  loth,  and 
simultaneously  there  came  a  despatch  which 
Captain  Wissmann  had  written  at  Mpwapwa  on 
October  13th,  as  follows: 

"Four  of  Stanley's  men  and  one  of  Emin's 
soldiers  have  arrived  here.  They  left  Stanley  at 
Neukmma  on  August  loth,  and  came  by  way  of 
Noembo  and  Mwerieweri  north  to  Mgogo  in 
thirty-three  days,  including  nine  days  on  which 
they  rested.  Emin  and  Casati  had  three  hundred 
Soudanese  soldiers  and  many  other  followers  with 
them.  They  had  in  their  possession  a  large 
quantity  of  ivory.  Stanley  had  a  force  of  two 
hundred  and  forty  Zanzibaris  and  was  accom- 
panied by  SIX  lieutenants — Nelson,  Jephson, 
Stairs,  Parke,  Bonny  and  William.  The  expe- 
dition struck  camp  as  soon  as  the  messengers 
started.  Therefore  the  party  should  reach 
Mpwapwa  by  November  20th.  Emin  and  Stan- 
ley repeatedly  fought  and  repulsed  the  Mahdists, 
capturing  the  Mahdi's  grand  banner.  A  majority 
of  Emin's  soldiers  refused  to  follow  him  south- 
wards, asserting  that  their  way  home  did  not  lie 


^32  ^^  ^^^    WILDS   OF  AFRICA, 

in  that  direction.  Emin  left  two  Egyptian  officers 
in  charge  of  stations." 

This  prediction  that  the  expedition  would  reach 
Mpwapwa  by  November  20th  was  more  than 
verified.  He  got  there  on  November  loth.  On 
November  nth  Sir  William  Mackinnon  received 
a  despatch  from  Stanley  announcing  his  arrival 
there,  and  stating  that  he  expected  to  reach 
Zanzibar  in  a  few  days. 

To  the  British  Consul  at  Zanzibar  Mr.  Stanley 
wrote,  under  the  same  date  : 

"  We  arrived  here  yesterday  on  the  fifty-fifth 
day  from  Victoria  Nyanza  and  the  one  hundred 
and  eighty-eighth  day  from  the  Albert  Nyanza. 
We  number  altogether  about  seven  hundred  and 
fifty  souls.  At  the  last  muster,  three  days  ago, 
Emin  Pasha's  people  numbered  two  hundred  and 
ninety-four,  of  whom  fifty-nine  are  children, 
mostly  orphans  of  Egyptian  officers.  The  whites 
with  me  are  Lieutenant  Stairs,  Captain  Nelson, 
Mounteney,  Jephson,  Surgeon  Parke,  William 
Bonny,  Mr.  Hoffman,  Emin  Pasha  and  his 
daughter.  Captain  Casati,  Signor  Marco  and  a 
Tunisian,  Vitu  Hassan,  and  an  apothecary.  We 
have  also  Peres  Girault  and  Schinze,  of  the 
Algerian  mission.  Among  the  principal  officers 
of  the  Pasha  are  the  Vakeers,  of  the  Equatorial 
province,  and  Major  Awash  Effendi,  of  the 
Second  battalion. 

"  Since  leaving  Victoria  Nyanza  we  have  lost 


DBA  THS  B  V  THE    WA  K. 


533 


eighteen  of  the  Pasha's  people,  and  one  native 
of  Zanzibar,  who  was  killed  while  we  were  parley- 
ing with  hostile  people.  Every  other  expedition 
I  have  led  has  seen  the  lightening  of  our  labors 
as  we  drew  near  the  sea,  but  I  cannot  say  the 
same  of  this  one.  Our  long  string  of  hammock 
bearers  tells  a  different  tale,  and  until  we  place 
these  poor  things  on  shipboard  there  will  no  rest 
for  us.  The  worst  of  it  is  we  have  not  the  privi- 
lege of  showing  at  Zanzibar  the  full  extent  of 
our  labors.  After  carrying  some  of  them  one 
thousand  miles,  fighting  to  the  right  and  left  of 
the  sick,  driving  Warasura  from  their  prey,  over 
range  and  range  of  mountains,  with  every  energy 
on  the  full  strain,  they  slip  through  our  hands 
and  die  in  their  hammocks.  One  lady,  seventy- 
five  years  of  age,  the  old  mother  of  the  Valkiel, 
died  in  this  manner  in  North  Msukuma,  south  of 
Victoria  Nyanza. 

"  We  had  as  stirring  a  time  for  four  days  as 
we  had  anywhere.  For  those  four  days  we  had 
continuous  fighting  during  the  greater  part  of 
daylight  hours.  The  foolish  natives  took  an  un- 
accountable prejudice  to  the  Pasha's  people. 
They  insisted  that  they  were  cannibals  and  had 
come  to  their  country  for  no  good.  Talking  to 
them  was  of  no  use.  Any  attempt  at  disproof 
drove  them  into  white  hot  rage,  and  in  their  mad 
flinging  of  themselves  on  us  they  suffered/* 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

AT   THE    COAST   AT   LAST. 

A  SPECIAL     correspondent    of   the    New 
York  Herald  reached  Msiiwah  at  5  p.  m., 
on    November    29th,   and    immediately 
sent  to  that  paper  the  following  despatch  : 

"  I  have  just  met  Henry  M.  Stanley,  Emin 
Pasha,  Casati,  Lieutenant  Stairs,  Mr.  Jephson, 
Dr.  Parke,  Nelson  and  Bonny  and  five  hundred 
and  sixty  men,  v^omen  and  children. 

*'  I  have  found  Stanley  looking  exceedingly 
hearty.  He  wears  a  Prussian  cap,  linen  breeches 
and  canvas  shoes. 

"I  presented  him  with  the  American  flag 
with  which  I  was  intrusted,  and  it  is  now  flying 
from  Mr.  Stanley's  tent. 

"  The  great  explorer  s  hair  is  quite  white  and 
his  moustache  is  iron  gray. 

''  Emin  Pasha  is  a  slight,  dark  man.  He  wears 
spectacles.  In  a  short  conversation  which  I  had 
with  him  he  told  me  he  did  not  wish  for  any 
honors  for  what  he  had  done.  He  simply  desired 
to  be  employed  again  in  the  Khedive's  service. 

"  I  have  given  Captain  Casati  his  letters.  He 
looks  well,  but  the  hardships  which  he  has  under- 

(534) 


JOYOUS    WELCOMES. 


535 


gone  seem  to  'have  quite  undermined    his  con- 
stitution. 

"All  the  other  Europeans  are  well.  We  shall 
proceed  toward  the  coast  the  day  after  to-mor- 
row. 

"Stanley,  Emin  and  Casati  were  entertained  at 
dinner  last  night  in  this  camp  by  Baron  Graven- 
reath.  Speeches  were  made  by  the  Baron  and  by 
Stanley.  The  Baron  complimented  Stanley,  Emin 
and  their  companions  on  their  march  from  Cen- 
tral Africa.  Stanley  responded  and  praised  Ger- 
man enterprise  and  civilizing  abilities.** 

Mr.  Stanley  and  his  comrades  moved  steadily 
forward,  and  on  December  3d  were  met  by  Major 
Wissmann  at  Atoni  on  the  Kinghani  River. 
The  occasion  was  duly  celebrated  by  the  drinking 
of  healths  and  loyal  toasts  in  bumpers  of  cham- 
pagne. Major  Wissmann  provided  horses,  and 
Mr.  Stanley  and  Emin  Pasha  made  a  triumphal 
entry  into  Bagamoyo  at  1 1  o'clock  on  Wednesday 
morning,  December  4th.  The  town  was  profusely 
decorated  with  bunting  and  verdant  arches,  and 
palms  were  waving  from  every  window.  Major 
Wissmann's  force  and  the  German  man-of-war 
"Sperber'*  fired  salutes.  All  the  vessels  in  the 
roadstead  were  handsomely  decked  with  flags. 

Major  Wissmann  entertained  the  party  at 
luncheon,  when  the  captain  of  the  "Sperber" 
formally  welcomed  Mr.  Stanley,  and  then  con- 
gratulated Emin  on  behalf  of  Emperor  William. 


536 


IN  THE    WILDS   OF  AFRICA. 


During  the  afternoon  many  Europeans  came  to 
greet  the  explorers. 

In  the  evening  there  was  a  champagne  banquet. 
The  German  Consul  offered  a  toast  in  honor  of 
Queen  Victoria.  Major  Wissmann  toasted  Stan- 
ley, calling  him  his  master  in  African  exploration. 
Mr.  Stanley  made  an  eloquent  reply.  He  thanked 
God  that  he  had  done  his  duty,  and  referred  with 
emotion  to  the  soldiers  whose  bones  were  bleach- 
ing in  the  forest.  He  said  his  motto  had  always 
been  "Onward.''  He  testified  to  the  divine  in- 
fluence that  had  guided  him  in  his  work.  Emin 
Pasha  toasted  Emperor  William.  Lieutenant 
Stairs  responded  to  a  toast  to  Stanley's  officers. 
Major  Brackenbury  proposed  the  health  of  Major 
Wissmann,  which  was  drunk  with  all  honors,  the 
company  heartily  singing  "He's  a  jolly  good  fel- 
low." 

The  festivities  of  the  evening  had,  however,  a 
sad  ending.  A  great  crowd  gathered  outside, 
lustily  cheering  the  illustrious  guests.  Emin 
Pasha  went  to  a  window  and  stepped  out  upon 
the  balcony  to  acknowledge  the  compliment. 
Being  nearly  blind,  he  stumbled  and  fell. over  the 
low  parapet  to  the  street,  a  distance  of  twenty 
feet.  He  was  picked  up  terribly  bruised,  the 
blood  streaming  from  his  ears,  and  it  was  feared 
that  his  skull  was  fractured.  All  the  physicians 
present  declared  his  injuries  fatal,  excepting 
Stanley's  comrade,  Dr.  Parke.     He  took  a  more 


EMIN'S   ACCIDENT, 


537 


hopeful  view  of  the  case.  Next  day  it  was  found 
that  the  skull  was  not  broken,  although  Emin 
had  sustained  various  severe  internal  injuries. 
Mr.  Stanley  telegraphed  to  England  that  the 
Pasha's  condition  was  most  critical,  and  that  the 
German  naval  surgeons  there  declared  that  only 
twenty  in  a  hundred  of  such  cases  ever  recover, 
this  percentage  including  all  the  cases  of  men 
in  the  vigor  of  life.  Emin's  age  was  not  great, 
but  his  physical  condition  was  not  good.  In 
addition  to  other  bad  symptoms,  the  hemorrhage 
from  the  ears  continued,  and  this,  though  it  pre- 
vented the  immediate  formation  of  a  large  clot 
in  the  brain,  menaced  life  by  loss  of  strength. 
He  was  lying  in  the  German  hospital  at  Baga- 
moyo.  Dr.  Parke  still  had  some  hope.  Day  by 
day  news  of  the  patient  grew  better,  and  soon 
he  was  regarded  as  on  the  sure  though  slow 
road  to  recovery. 

Mr.  Stanley  was  conveyed  from  Bagamoyo  to 
Zanzibar  by  the  German  warship  "Sperber,'*  which 
had  been  placed  at  his  disposal  by  the  Emperor. 
This  was  a  compliment  without  precedent. 

On  December  5th  the  German  Emperor  tel- 
egraphed to  Emin : 

"Now  you  have  at  last  returned  from  your 
post,  where  you  have  remained  over  eleven 
years,  with  truly  German  loyalty  and  devotion 
to  duty,  I  am  glad  to  greet  you,  sending  my  con- 
gratulations and  imperial  appreciation.     I  have 


538 


IN   THE    WILDS   OF  AFRICA, 


felt  special  satisfaction  from  the  fact  that  it  was 
through  territory  under  our  protection  that  Ger- 
man forces  were  able  to  smooth  the  way  to  the 
coast  for  your  return/' 

At  the  same  time  the  Emperor  cabled  to  Stan- 
ley as  follows : 

"Thanks  to  your  perseverance  and  inflexible 
courage,  you  have  now,  after  repeatedly  crossing 
the  Dark  Continent,  overcome  a  new  and  long 
succession  of  exceeding  perils  and  almost  un- 
endurable hardships.  That,  after  surmounting 
those,  your  return  journey  should  lead  you 
through  lands  covered  by  my  flag,  affords  me 
great  satisfaction,  and  I  welcome  you  heartily  to 
civilization  and  security/* 

Stanley  cabled  the  following  answer : 

''Imperator  et  Rex:  My  expectation  has  now 
reached  its  end.  I  have  had  the  honor  to  be 
hospitably  entertained  by  Major  Wissmann  and 
other  of  your  Majesty's  officers  under  him. 
Since  arriving  from  Mpwapwa  our  travels  have 
come  to  a  successful  conclusion.  We  have  been 
taken  across  from  Bagamoyo  to  Zanzibar  by 
your  Majesty's  ships  *Sperber'  and  ^Schwalbe' 
and  all  honors,  coupled  with  great  affability,  have 
been  accorded  us. 

"I  gratefully  remember  the  hospitality  and 
princely  affability  extended  to  me  at  Potsdam, 
and  am  profoundly  impressed  with  your  Majesty's 
condescension,  kindness  and  gracious  welcome. 


STANLEY   THE  HERO,  c^g 

With  a  full  and  sincere  heart  I  exclaim,  Long 
live  the  noble  Emperor  William  !  " 

The  Emperor  was  immensely  pleased  with 
Stanley^s  reply.  He  read  it  aloud,  encircled  by 
a  brilliant  party,  at  a  supper  given  by  the  Grand 
Duke  of  Hesse.  Then  he  again  cabled  to  Stan- 
ley, urging  him  to  make  an  early  visit  to  Berlin, 
and  giving  him  hearty  assurance  of  a  warm  Ger- 
man greeting. 

In  England  Mr.  Stanley  was  the  hero  of  the 
day.  Tributes  to  his  worth  abounded  on  every 
hand.  The  Royal  Geographical  Society  took  in 
charge  the  arrangements  for  a  formal  welcome 
on  his  return. 


THE   END. 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 


AN     INITIAL     FINE     OF    25     CENTS 

WILL  BE  ASSESSED  FOR  FAILURE  TO  RETURN 
THIS  BOOK  ON  THE  DATE  DUE.  THE  PENALTY 
WILL  INCREASE  TO  50  CENTS  ON  THE  FOURTH 
DAY  AND  TO  $1.00  ON  THE  SEVENTH  DAY 
OVERDUE. 


.  9.  1S33 


m^ 


g^p    28  1934 
OdT   12  1934 

DEC    16  1935 
MAR     7    1936 

DEC  34  19^7 


DEC 


m 


Xt^^P"^^^ 


REC'D  LD 


LD  21-50m-l,'3i 


m  34253 


Jf  ^f  O 


325 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


